Remain
by Arra Frost
Summary: Sequel of "Stay". Naruto is six months into his relationship with Gaara when he begins to have hesitations about commitment. Is it simply his nerves or is his past with Sasuke still hanging over his head? GaaNaru, SasuNaru, AU, yaoi, mature content.
1. Commitment

**Welcome to the SEQUEL of "Stay." If you have not read "Stay" then please go to my profile and click on the eleven chapter story that preludes this story. **

**Other than that... welcome back! As most of you are aware... my updates don't come regularly. You may be waiting for a month because... I have a busy life and not that much time to devote to writing fanfiction. But I like it... so I keep it up when I can. I try to update AT LEAST once or twice a month and sometimes you'll get lucky and I'll stay up until four in the morning three nights and a row and you'll get three chapters in three days. I make no promises. However, I will assure you that I never drop a fanfic. I will write until the very end and never end it abruptly.**

**Also... reviews help me update faster, this is no lie. They are good motivation for faster updates. Please review, flames are welcome because they inspire feelings of superiority, arrogance and mockery within me. Yes I'm a bitch and I'm full of myself, and degrading others is fun (but only others who deserve it). Reviews, flames, it's all welcome because it will evoke something in me that will probably urge me to write. **

**Warnings: GaaNaru, SasuNaru, homosexuality (as if that weren't obvious), course language, mature subject matter, OOCness (particularly in Gaara), AU (alternate universe... this is the modern world... Canada... east coast), and CHARACTER DEATH DUNDUNDA! (*bullet to the head* KIDDING!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter One:

Naruto's mind felt as though it had gone blank. He was perpetually stunned. Never had someone asked him such a question and his reaction was apparently to revert to a blank slate with a gaping mouth and eyes that expressed bewildered dismay.

"Naruto?" The voice wasn't nearly as concerned as it was baffled by the current state of the blonde.

His name was being used as a tool to call him forth from his world of stillness but it wasn't working. His mind was barely getting over the numb confusion to really rework the words that had been offered him in the form of a proposition.

"Did you hear me?" The question was merely a precaution. It was obvious the other man had heard him, but the delayed response was now concerning.

Slowly, Naruto's body regained a semblance of control over his unresponsive mind and his head tilted in what appeared to be a nod.

"What do you think?" His boyfriend encouraged.

Think? Naruto wasn't particularly capable of that action at this moment. It seemed hysterical to think that anyone would be capable of such an extensively complicated action as thought after a question like that.

"Your dumb silence isn't very reassuring." The voice was slightly put off and offended, but Naruto honestly didn't know what to do in his current circumstance.

"Um..." The blonde sighed, gnawing at his lower lip in attempt to get a grasp on his situation. He replayed his boyfriend's words over in his head. _"Would you like to move in together?"_ Gaara had asked him only seconds before. Naruto felt almost embarrassed that such a simple question would cause him to go into a near catatonic shock but that didn't make him any less comatose.

"I like my house." Was the only thing Naruto could offer. He had no idea what to say or do. Sure he loved Gaara. They had been dating for six months now and had come a long way in there relationship. Gaara continuously slept over at Naruto's house, even on work nights and then they would commute to school together and drive back to Naruto's house afterwords. They were an open couple everywhere they went and Naruto wasn't ashamed or embarrassed, nor did he give a damn what people thought of his homosexuality. He was out and he was happy.

Most of the teachers at school were aware that they were a couple, some people weren't particularly supportive but those were the teachers that didn't really matter. All of Naruto's close friends among the faculty were accepting and glad to see that Naruto was happy and no longer faking his smiles like he had done for nearly a year before. Iruka was glad and accepting as always. He even took Naruto out back and attempted to "share" some information about how they should go about _certain_ things. But that wasn't necessary, Naruto already knew those things. He had to explain to Iruka that he'd been in gay relationships since university. It was interesting to "learn" Iruka's sexual orientation, as he'd had strong suspicions for quite a few years now. It was a long lunch hour that day and as they both had free periods following that day, they used the normal working opportunity to continue their discussion.

That was a difficult day for Naruto. He finally confessed to Iruka, his mentor and his friend, that he'd had an affair with a married man and that was the reason he was broken all those months ago. He cried and Iruka was there as his shoulder. Naruto was lucky to have such a good friend. He didn't judge Naruto, he was only concerned for his well being. Iruka was a true friend along with being a great role model.

"You don't want to move in with me?"

Naruto stared into Gaara's unreadable eyes. He knew that Gaara wasn't happy with this, he was disappointed, but it was hard to tell anything else. Gaara was so difficult to understand in serious circumstances because he put up this front to keep things from getting personal. That's how he was in everyday life when he wasn't with Naruto. Whenever they were together in a comfortable atmosphere, Gaara was flirtatious and teasing... he could drive Naruto wild by simply looking at him or caressing his palm. Right now, unfortunately, was not one of those times. Naruto wasn't giving him a desired response, thus making this intensely serious and Gaara wouldn't feel comfortable risking emotion.

"Well... It's not that exactly. I mean..." Naruto stumbled through his words. He'd never had to deal with this. Commitment was something he strove for earlier in his life, but that was from someone else, not him. He always thought of himself to be someone who committed like crazy. He dedicated his life to Sasuke but in essence... he really didn't. He only dedicated every Friday night with him and then complained about how he didn't have Sasuke in the rest of his life. He didn't have to necessarily give things up or compromise for Sasuke, nothing was asked of him. Except of course to keep a massive secret. But now he had Gaara. He loved being with him and he loved the way their relationship worked. Moving in, however, was an entirely different situation. Naruto wouldn't have his space, whatever that meant. They already worked in the same building all day, did they really have to sleep, eat and bath in the same building every day? Not to mention Naruto liked this house, he had inherited it from his grandmother. He didn't want to move.

"I don't want to move." He added suddenly. He knew he'd said that he'd liked his house already but maybe, if he gave more detail, Gaara would give up. "It's my grandmother's home. There's sentimental value."

"Naruto," Gaara sighed, looking him straight in the eyes with those guarded orbs, "I'm not saying you have to move out."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, slightly confused.

"I already spend more time here than I do in my own apartment." Gaara edged on, adding yet another hint to Naruto's pile.

It took the blonde a moment before he looked down, blinking frequently, before glancing back up and giving the redhead a questioning stare. "You want to move in here?"

"Yes." Any normal person would have sighed and laughed at how long it took Naruto to get it, but Gaara was perfectly monotone about his answer.

Naruto bit his lower lip. The idea of Gaara moving into his home felt wild and unjust. Something that had no precedence even though Naruto knew that was a perfectly reasonable option for couples to conclude. To him it simply felt, awkward and out of place.

"Gaara... I don't know if I'm ready for that." For once he answered honestly without beating around the bush. He really wasn't sure if he was ready to make that kind of commitment. He still had baggage and getting into something that serious so sudden intimidated and damn near terrified him.

Naruto could see a brief glimpse of disappointment on Gaara's face but that was soon replaced by a soft, understanding expression.

"That's fine."

Naruto sighed inwardly in relief. He was glad Gaara wasn't angry or upset with him. He could tolerate disappointment, as that was normal, but he didn't want him to be mad.

"Will you think about it?"

His feeling of relief dissipated. "Yeah, I'll think about it." Naruto gave him a small smile before leaning in to kiss his boyfriend but Gaara moved back and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"I think you should continue what you were doing before I got here." The redhead motioned to the piles of papers on his coffee table.

Naruto glanced over to the stacks of high school essays with a deeply disgusted frown. Over half of them may have been read and graded but that didn't make the task any less tedious or boring. Nor did it seem a suitable replacement for making out with his boyfriend.

"But Gaara!" Naruto whined, turning back to face the redhead with his signature puppy dog eyes. "Wouldn't you rather do something else?" He added with one of his sexiest pouts.

Gaara smirked as he gazed into Naruto's eyes. "You're right, there is something I want to do." He breathed huskily, leaning in closer so that the blonde could feel his hot breath caressing his lips.

Naruto's lower lip quivered in anticipation and his eyes fell closed out of impulse as he instinctively moved forward, desperately reaching for those tender lips.

Just as he could feel Gaara's lower lip graze his own, the redhead pulled away abruptly saying, "I would really like a shower. You'll be done these when I get out, right?"

Naruto's eyes shot open, a heavy glare already in set as he glowered after his boyfriend who was rushing away from the couch and towards the bathroom.

"Jerk!" He mumbled, pouting out of disappointment as his boyfriend he disappeared down the hallway before turning to the work on his table. Naruto huffed angrily, glaring at the papers with full force but was interrupted by his boyfriend's calling voice.

"Stop trying to set them on fire with your mind and get to work!"

Naruto grumbled at how well Gaara had learned his work ethics. First attempt to burn them with your eyes, if that fails... find a lighter and tell the students there was small accident involving a stove and give them all A's. Of course, that didn't work the first time Naruto had tried it so it wouldn't work now.

"Fine... I'll grade the lousy papers." He muttered, hoping for a sudden miracle that would make all of these papers epically fantastic so he wouldn't have to use his red pen.

* * *

"So what movie do you wanna see?" Kiba asked after he and Naruto were served their bowls of ramen. Naruto had called him a few hours earlier to see if he was free tonight. Of course he was, since his dating spree was going downhill, so they agreed to meet at Ichiraku Ramen before they headed to the movies.

"Karate Kid looks good." Naruto suggested before inhaling the ramen noodles as he normally did.

"I don't know... karate is kind of lame. I've always liked ninja movies better."

"Yeah but it's Will Smith's kid. If he's anything like his father he's gonna turn out to be an amazing actor."

Kiba rose his eyebrow suspiciously. "You just want to support Will Smith because you think he's hot."

"I don't think he's hot." Naruto denied before a playful look crossed his face. "I think he's the sexiest man alive. There's a difference."

Kiba chuckled and rolled his eyes. "You know Will Smith isn't going to be in it."

"But he might be!"

"Fine. We'll go see the stupid karate movie."

"Yes! It'll be good. Besides, you like Jackie Chan." As Naruto said this he titled the bowl up to his lips and drank down the leftover contents of the bowl.

"Yeah I guess." Kiba shrugged. "So what is Gaara up to tonight that you're not hanging out with him?"

Naruto averted his eyes and his smile faded. "We're... well I think we're having a fight."

"You think you're having a fight?" Kiba would have been more confused if he didn't know Naruto as well as he did. Technically the boy never had a real, functional, relationship before.

"I'm not sure. He asked me something and I... well I didn't give him the answer he wanted. He's kind of disappointed and said that he'd give me some space and time to think about it."

Kiba's eyebrows furrowed in concern. He could tell that Naruto was trying to avoid telling him what it was about because it was obvious something that unnerved him. "What did he ask you?"

"Nothing to be concerned about."

"Naruto, it's not something trivial. I can tell. Just tell me what he asked."

"He um... he wants to..." Naruto sighed and bit his lip before he blurted, "He wants to move in with me."

"That's all?" Kiba asked before slurping up some noodles.

"You're not as surprised as I'd thought you'd be." He was honestly surprised that Kiba asked the question so nonchalantly. This was a big deal, and Kiba should understand that, especially considering Naruto's past.

"What's the big deal? People move in with each other all the time."

"That's other people... normal people. Generally straight people."

"So suddenly gay people can't live together? You're not very informed of what's now acceptable for the gay community, are you?"

This simply earned the brunet a deep glare.

"You know I'm kidding. I know all the gays get updated pamphlets on this kind of stuff."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched in irritation as the glower deepened, if that was possible. Kiba could have sworn Naruto's bright blue eyes turned pure black for a moment.

"Okay... no more gay jokes for you."

"Kiba this is serious."

"Naruto, it's only serious because you're making it serious. It's only living together. It's sort of like having a roommate only in a much bigger space."

"My house isn't that big." Naruto grumbled.

"Well it's no Summers' residence but I'm sure you could fit at least two people in without a problem." (1)

"It's not a space thing... it's a commitment thing." Naruto stressed in a hush voice.

"Where's the problem. You've been pretty committed and he practically lives there anyway. Not to mention, if he's around, I won't have to babysit you all the time."

Naruto gave him a flat, unimpressed look, "Thanks a lot."

"I'm kidding!" Kiba threw back his head out of amusement combined with his growing frustration. "You know I'll always be there for ya."

Naruto sighed and nodded, lowering his gaze to his empty ramen bowl.

"Look man. Everything's up to you. If you're not ready, you're not ready, and Gaara will just have to understand that."

The blonde nodded, giving his friend a thankful smile.

"But you need to figure out why you're not ready because I know you don't know. You may say you're just scared of commitment but there's more to it. So find out."

Naruto sighed and bit his lower lip. He hated it when Kiba made perfect, logical sense. If he wasn't simply afraid of commitment... then what was it that he was afraid of? He needed to find out what was holding him back to truly be fair to Gaara.

* * *

"Okay... so it was a good movie." Kiba begrudgingly admitted as they exited the theatre.

"See! I told you! It was awesome... for a kid Jaden Smith is in really great shape. I would never have been able to fight like that at his age. He's what 12 or 13?"

"Yeah probably. I don't think any kids are really able to do that unless they treat it like a life style." Kiba agreed, throwing his empty popcorn bag into the garbage. "Strange that a lot of people would actually do that as a living, but it looks like fun."

"Yeah definitely." The blonde nodded before drinking the rest of his super sized bottle of pop and tossing it into the same trashcan that Kiba had placed his popcorn into.

"I think the jacket parts were my favorite! Especially with his mother." Kiba laughed as he said this and Naruto chuckled as he recalled a hilarious part of the movie.

"I don't think I've ever seen Jackie Chan that terrified!"

They both laughed as they leaned against a table, waiting there until the crowd dispersed. It was always crazy at the end of these kind of movies. People rushing for the doors, others hanging around in the worst possible places. The lobby was crowded and uncomfortable. So naturally, Naruto and Kiba chose to hang back, out of the way, and wait for everything to calm down.

Naruto was going to comment on another part of the movie that he particularly favored when someone bumped into him, throwing him off balance.

"Hey!" The blonde cried out as he stumbled forward, almost falling into Kiba's arms.

"I'm sorry!" The perpetrator apologized hurriedly, causing Naruto to freeze up and steady himself.

However, it wasn't the apology that brought him to a catatonic state. Without even seeing his face, Naruto knew instantly who it was. That was a voice Naruto would never be able to erase from his memory, no matter how hard he tried.

Forcing himself not to gape, Naruto turned around to face the man he hadn't seen in five months.

"Hi, Sasuke."

Instantly the raven's face was devoid of color, as if he wasn't pale enough already. "Naruto... I'm sorry-"

"It's okay," Naruto brushed off with a breezy smile. "Accidents happen."

"Yeah, I just tripped and... how are you doing?" Sasuke was clearly flustered and had no idea how to handle this situation.

Naruto gave him a sweet smile and exhaled in a sigh, "I'm good. I'm doing good. How are you?"

Sasuke nodded sombrely, "That's great. I'm doing good."

"Yeah, that's good." Naruto smiled at how awkward this conversation was. He'd never talked to Sasuke like this and certainly not in this type of environment. He could only guess what Kiba felt like, standing off to the side, behind Naruto. Although, to be perfectly frank, Kiba wasn't particularly high on his priority list at the moment.

"How is um..." Sasuke gave a quick, cautionary glance to Kiba, "how is-"

"He's good." Naruto interrupted him. It was awkward enough as it was, Naruto didn't need Sasuke stumbling over asking about how the man Naruto chose over him was doing.

"Great." Sasuke smiled but Naruto could tell his was repressing the sentence, 'so you're still with him?'

"What did you see?" Naruto asked him, hoping a change of subject would be less unnerving and strained.

"Oh, the A-Team." Sasuke seemed surprised at the question but also appeared glad to have a different topic.

"Nice. I want to see that. We saw Karate Kid."

"That looks good. Still a fan of Will Smith then?" Sasuke asked, a sly smirk creeping up on his lips. It was obvious he remembered Naruto's little obsession with this actor. Of course, it couldn't be too easy to forget with Naruto's collection of every movie he was in, including the full seasons to "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."

Naruto bit his lip and laughed, "Yeah... still a fan. He wasn't in it though, except a couple pictures in the credits."

Sasuke chuckled at how disappointed Naruto had sounded. "Only you would go to that movie in hopes to see Will Smith."

Naruto blushed and gave a humored sigh. For the first time since they started talking, Naruto dared to glance up at Sasuke's eyes and found they were locked on him. It sent chills down his spine at how those dark orbs could drill do deeply into him. They felt intimidating yet alluring at the same time, Naruto could scarcely breath.

"That's exactly what I told him." Kiba chimed in, breaking the intense connection between the two ex-lovers' eyes.

"He's just too easy to read." Sasuke commented, staring Kiba straight in the eyes. He wasn't upfront about it and he barely even expressed it, but Naruto could tell he wasn't impressed about Kiba's timing. It was in his eyes and in the slightest changes in his composure that Naruto had learned to notice over the time he spent with him.

Even though Naruto was disappointed, and a little irritated, at Kiba's interruption, he was also rather glad the intense moment had been put to rest. Naruto couldn't let himself get carried away.

"Yeah, he really is." Kiba replied. Naruto could tell that Sasuke thought the brunet was oblivious to what had partaken between him and the blonde, but Naruto knew otherwise. Kiba also had little quirks that Naruto had learned to pick up on. Kiba had interrupted for a reason. He was being that over-protective friend again.

"Uchiha, ready?" Naruto's attention was immediately brought to an older man who had walked up to the raven haired. The man had a beautiful head of silver hair but despite its color, Naruto could tell he wasn't even in his forties yet by his well-toned, young face. He was probably the same age as Iruka. He felt a strange, annoyed chill rush through him when the silver haired man placed his hand firmly on Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke turned and nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready." He turned back to Naruto with a solemn smile on his face. "It was good to see you again after so long.

Naruto returned the smile, "Yeah... you too."

As Sasuke and his older friend passed them, Sasuke reached out and gently, subtly, ran his hand up Naruto's arm. Naruto refused to turn around to see the raven's expression after doing that and kept his eyes forward, ignoring the strong gaze of the silver haired man as he walked by. Once he was sure they were gone, he could tell by the relief of tension in the air, he let out a long, exhausted sigh.

"You okay?" Kiba was immediately by his side now, concerned eyes trained on him.

"That was... unexpected." He mumbled.

Kiba nodded, "Yeah I didn't think his type went out to see movies."

Naruto laughed at this, but only out of kindness and surprise. He knew that Sasuke watched movies. He'd never gone out to see one with him and whenever they had watched one at Naruto's house they never finished it, but he watched them. Despite everything, he was a normal guy.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kiba asked, worry stressing his voice.

Naruto glanced up at him with confused eyes. "I don't know..."

Kiba let out a sigh, one of those sighs he gave back when Naruto was still waiting for Sasuke to leave his wife. "Naruto, you can't-"

"I know." Naruto cut him off. He was all too aware of his situation. "I know I can't. It's just... it's been so long since I've seen him. Not since... the day I told him... that I couldn't wait for him."

"I know," Kiba gripped his shoulder in understanding. His friend had been through a lot with Sasuke and had come out stronger because of it. But these times could always throw someone off balance.

"Do you think... do you think he's moved on?" Naruto regretted asking this the moment the words were out of his mouth. How could he be concerned or even curious that Sasuke might have moved on from Naruto and started dating an older man.

"That I don't know." Kiba's voice was honest and sure but it had a certain air about it that disapproved of this question.

"Yeah. Well," Naruto breathed in and exhaled quickly, gathering himself up. "At least he looks like he's doing good."

"Yeah, half a year and he still seems like a prick."

Naruto smiled and genuinely laughed, smacking his friend on the arm. "You're horrible."

"Yeah well, I never did get to have my closure with the guy."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows at the comment, it sounded strange coming from Kiba's mouth yet it didn't at the same time. It was true that Kiba had gone through a lot of torment because of Sasuke all the same. Only Naruto got to confront, forgive and forget. Kiba never had the chance and he still felt an incredible amount of disdain for the man.

"Guess not." Naruto laughed. "Just don't take a fist to him the next time you want to get that closure." He knew what Kiba was like. That's the exact same way he got closure with a guy who stole his girlfriend back in high school and the same kind of closure he got with a guy who damn near ran over his dog. Naruto couldn't begin to think what Kiba would have done if the guy had actually run over Akamaru.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll think about it." Kiba smirked.

Naruto rolled his eyes before glancing around and seeing that the theatre was pretty much empty. "Shall we get going?"

Kiba noticed how lonely the lobby had gotten as well. "I suppose I should get you back. Don't want Gaara suspecting nothin'."

Naruto knew Kiba meant no harm by those words but he felt his blood run cold for just a moment before he warmed it up with a light joke. "Oh I'm sure Gaara will believe that my standards fell to mutt."

"Oh har-har. I'm hot and you know it." Kiba stuck his tongue out.

"Of course you are. Bloody gorgeous, top of your breed." He snickered as Kiba punched him playfully in the shoulder, ushering the blonde out the doors.

* * *

"See ya later, dude!" Kiba called from the car as Naruto walked to his front door.

"Later!" The blonde called back as his friend pulled out of the driveway.

Naruto reached n his pocket for the keys, unlocked the door and was safely inside before Kiba was even out of sight. The door closed behind him and he tossed the keys to the counter, let his jacket fall to the floor and he leaned back hard against the door.

Gingerly, his hand traveled up to his arm and he pressed firmly against the area Sasuke had touched him. So many things came flooding back to his mind from a single, brief touch.

Naruto banged his head back against the wood.

"Fuck."

* * *

**(1) Please tell me someone got the Buffy reference. Don't spoil things for other reviewers, just let me know you got it.**


	2. The Past

**So... I reckon you all hate me huh? Six months of no updates... I'm surprised I don't have hate mail to be honest. It's never taken me so long to update. Theoretically I could use my semester that just finished a week ago as an excuse, as it was my third year of university, lots of third year courses and a shit ton of work, plus all my theatrical engagements. But to be honest, my writing has suffered the last six months. Hadn't been doing much of it (other than essays and those suck).**

**But enough excuses, I should have updated at least something. Especially considered I had four pages written during the summer. Nonetheless... I am updated now (obviously) and to make up for the six long months of not updating... I have made this chapter longer and JUICER! Oo-lah-lah! **

**2am... work at 9am... goodnight and enjoy! Thank you to those who continue to read this despite my horrible lack of updates!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter Two:

"You seem unusually energetic." The silver haired man commented on the constant tapping of fingers on the thigh next to his.

Sasuke merely glanced to where his mentor was directing his gaze and examined the unnatural fidgeting his body was displaying. Looking down at his foot, he noticed that it too was tapping on the floor of the car. He acknowledged these actions with a long, subtle sigh.

"If you're going to brood about it you might as well explain it." Kakashi insisted, turning back to keep an eye on the road. He could easily guess what was bothering his co-worker and friend of several years but he wasn't the type to simply give everything away. It would be better for the young raven if he got what he needed off his chest in his own awkward words.

Sasuke shot an irritated glare in Kakashi's direction. He hated this little game, he was all too familiar. No matter how much he hated expressing emotions, Kakashi could get it out of him with simple sentences such as that. It was his tone, his expression and the inevitable punishment if he didn't divulge.

"It's been a while." Sasuke muttered briefly. He knew that wouldn't satisfy the older man but he had to hope.

"Really? I would have never guessed."

Kakashi's sarcasm only earned him another morbid glare before Sasuke sighed loudly and ran his hand through his hair. "You already know the story. Guaranteed you already know this, even though you haven't seen him before, but he's the one I had the affair with... and the one who left me."

Sasuke knew Kakashi's skills of observation and deduction, sure he wasn't Sherlock Holmes but he was pretty damn good. Kakashi probably put everything together, Sasuke's lack of composure, how guarded the blonde was, it didn't take rocket science.

"Never was one for blondes." Kakashi's sentence breezed off his lips, taking away all seriousness to the conversation.

Sasuke's eyebrow raised ever-so slightly to this comment. "So how was it that you only came out to me _after_ I came out and dealt with all this bullshit?"

It still irritated Sasuke quite a bit. If he had known that his mentor since youth had been gay as well as him, things might have turned out different for him and Naruto... and Sakura. He may have had more confidence and courage to come out of the closet and accept himself for who he was. He could have avoided that rather violent fight that put him on suspension for a month. But no, Kakashi had to move back to town three days after his final conversation with Naruto as lovers. He heard all the details and basically the next words out of his mouth were "That's why gay guys like ourselves shouldn't marry ladybits." Sasuke was lucky he was still in the hospital because if not... he would have gotten a longer suspension for beating up a commanding officer.

"Need to know basis. I couldn't corrupt you in your youth. Then I moved away and corrupting long distance is just no fun."

"You only moved away when I was 16, Kakashi. I've seen you dating boys the same age as me at that age."

"They were all eighteen and nineteen thank you very much, except that one but his birthday was in a few months and all freshmen are up for grabs."

Sasuke didn't know how this man managed it, but somehow Kakashi's twisted logic and reasoning always left Sasuke both amused and a little concern for his perverted older friend. More so concerned do to the fact that if Kakashi dipped any lower into the age stream he might get more than a simple suspension.

A sigh brought one of the silver haired man's eyebrows to a rise.

"Does it bother you that much?" He asked in a rare serious and concerned voice.

Sasuke ran his hand through his dark hair yet again, it was a habit he'd exhibit when frustrated or deep in thought. He honestly didn't know if it did bother him. He knew that looking back, he should have done things differently, but he wasn't sure if he actually regretted the years spent with Sakura.

* * *

He had married Sakura when he was twenty-three years old... on June 14th 2008, a month before his 24th birthday. They were together for just over a year in their marriage, happy and content. Although Sasuke had always felt uncomfortable to a certain degree. He discovered why one night, in September of 2009, when he'd been out drinking with friends after work. He walked home on his own and happened to run across a certain bar that suddenly intrigued him. He ventured in on his own and after ordering a drink, he shortly discovered that it was a gay bar. Watching the couples who were making out in the corners or dancing intimately on the dance floor awakened something in him that Sakura never had the ability to do. That terrified him and for a week he avoided that place and any idea that happened to relate to that nature.

Soon he realized that he couldn't avoid it and despite how much his morals protested, he made his way back to that bar Saturday night. He was nervous at first and sat alone at a table, attempting to look as unattainable as possible. However, one person dared to accompany him at his lonesome table. The young man had brilliant, bright blue eyes which reflected the dancing lights perfectly. But it was his smile that won the raven over. He couldn't get over how warm, playful, unique and enchanting that wide smile was.

Despite the inner voices of morality screaming against this, Sasuke invited him to sit and they talked the entire night. The blonde man with the sparkling blue eyes was studying to be a History teacher. He was thoroughly interested in Sasuke's career choice of becoming a detective, although he related it more to movies like "I, Robot" and a manga called "Fake." Sasuke soon learned that this man had an affinity for Will Smith.

When the bar closed, both men were surprised as they had talked so deeply that they'd become absorbed in their own world. However, regardless of time, Sasuke didn't want this to end. He'd never had such a strong chemistry with someone in his life. Not even Sakura compared, although they had conversations where they got lost in their own world but there was always something missing. But with this man, who's presence he found irresistible, nothing was missing. He craved to stay in his company, to be near him.

Exiting the bar didn't take long as there wasn't much of a crowd at four in the morning. Sasuke asked his new acquaintance which direction he lived and if he could drive him home. Sasuke knew he shouldn't have asked that but he couldn't help it. He ignored the guilty thoughts that bombarded his mind as he was given a direction which lead away from his own home but was told that it was only a few blocks away so he would not need a drive. Sasuke pushed his boundaries of ethics by asking if he could walk the blonde home. This offer was accepted and they walked and talked just as they had in the bar. Lost in their own world, Sasuke was surprised when it was announced that they'd made it to their destination.

Sasuke wasn't sure what was going on with his mind but he felt confident when he was near this man. He felt like he knew exactly what he was doing and he could mold him under his charm. It was probably the most adorable scene Sasuke had witnessed as his companion fumbled with his keys, trying to draw out their time even further. The door was opened and when the blonde turned around to say his goodbyes he found that Sasuke was incredibly close to him. Without anymore thought on what was wrong and what was right, Sasuke wrapped his arm around the blonde's waist and pulled him close. There was no protest as their lips collided in what Sasuke could only describe as his first real kiss. The door was quickly closed behind them and Sasuke disappeared into what would eventually become his future affair.

"Was he your first?" Kakashi's random question pulled Sasuke from his memories.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at his superior for his incredible intuition and a possible ability to read minds. Despite how many times Sasuke had been told he could be the player type, he never really was. Naruto was the first and last man he'd ever been with. "Yeah."

"How long before you told him you were married?"

Sasuke looked at Kakashi before staring out the window reminiscently. That was a night that Sasuke could never forget.

Sasuke breathed long and hard as he stood outside the door to his lover's apartment. It had been six weeks since the night at the bar, when they met and talked until closing. Sasuke was horrified of knocking on that door. Knocking on it, having his lover open the door, and then throw him out. He had to tell him. He had to tell him the truth. Sasuke knew it had to be done, despite how much he wanted to pretend he was two different people, he couldn't. He had to merge them somehow and explain everything.

Three loud knocks were followed by footsteps and then the door swung open, greeting the raven with a bright smile, beautiful blue eyes and blonde locks of hair.

"Hey there handsome." Naruto beamed, moving aside to let Sasuke enter.

Sasuke smiled as best he could, given the circumstances and the choice he was determined to make. He stepped into the apartment, the familiar scent and objects flooded his senses. He didn't want to give this up, this man, this life, this feeling. He took off his shoes and jacket like usual before proceeding to follow Naruto into the living room.

The living room, however, was slightly unfamiliar with the amount of boxes, some opened and some closed, some empty and some with items packed away.

"What's with the boxes? Are you moving?" Sasuke asked, momentarily forgetting his goal.

"Looks like." Naruto ran his fingers through his hair. "My grandmother passed away a few months ago."

Sasuke gave a look of concern and made to express his sympathy for Naruto's experience. He knew Naruto, like himself, didn't have parents so losing another loved one must be hard. But Naruto continued without allowing Sasuke to speak.

"It's okay. She lived a good life. But she, well since I'm the only one left except my would-be aunt, she left her house to me in her will, along with everything else. All the paperwork has finally been settled and I've gotten the house in order, so it's about time I move in."

Sasuke nodded, it sounded like Naruto was good at handling stressful situations. He also become that way, considering his past. "Would you like some help? Packing?"

Naruto smiled but there was a certain level of mischief in his eyes. "Sure, I'd appreciate it. But... not right now. I have other plans for this evening."

Sasuke laughed, rolling his eyes. "Oh I'm sure you do." He replied in a suggestive tone.

The blonde grinned as he closed the distance between their bodies, pressing them together. Sasuke smirked and ran his hands down the blonde's back, gripping his tight ass when he reached it.

"Mm." Naruto purred against Sasuke's neck, running his hands underneath Sasuke's button up shirt and caressing his bare skin.

Sasuke growled as he leaned forward, taking Naruto's earlobe into his mouth, running his tongue along it and nibbling on it, making Naruto gasp and moan softly.

Suddenly, Naruto pulled them back onto the couch. Unknown to Sasuke, Naruto must have been shuffling them backwards in order to gain the proper distance for them to fall somewhat gracefully on the small couch.

Sasuke established his dominant position above Naruto, pressing their hips together as he began to devourer the blonde's neck and collarbone that he exposed by pulling the random band labelled t-shirt down.

Naruto moaned beneath the raven's hot body, tilted his head back to give Sasuke better access while his hands deftly unbuttoned Sasuke's shirt. The blonde's hand then pushed the shirt off Sasuke's shoulders and finally down his arms to free him of the fabric.

Sasuke momentarily paused in his assault on Naruto's neck to lift the hindering shirt from Naruto's bodies. He tossed it carelessly on the floor before attacking Naruto's chest and nipples with his lips, tongue and teeth.

The blonde arched his back and moaned loudly as Sasuke took one of his nipples between his teeth, licking and sucking it alternately between the affectionate yet bruising bites.

As Sasuke's mouth occupied Naruto's chest, his hands quickly disposed of Naruto's belt and undid the fly to his jeans before shoving them down off his hips. With the offending pants out of his way, Sasuke's hand dove underneath Naruto's boxers and wrapped his fingers around Naruto's hot member. Naruto threw his head back with a loud moan as he thrust his hips up, pleading for more. But Sasuke wasn't going to give into his that easily. His grip on the length relaxed before he began stroking it in a tantalizingly slow motion. Naruto writhed beneath him, attempting to move his hips to encourage Sasuke's speed but Sasuke used his opposite hand to hold the blonde's hips down. Naruto's breathing grew more rapid and impatient as he twisted his body about.

"Please..." He breathed heavily, eyelids flicking in reaction to the wonderful yet torturous feeling he was enduring.

Sasuke's eyebrow arched and he gazed down at his enthralled lover. "Please what?" He asked with a coy smirk.

The raven received a deep rooted glare through pleasure glazed cerulean eyes. Naruto's mouth, which previously lay wide open to allow all his gasps and silent moans to escape, shut instantly in a frustrated frown.

Sasuke immediately firmly gripped Naruto's member, causing the blonde's mouth to open once more with a loud, pleading moan. Before Naruto could get more satisfaction, Sasuke released his grip and repeated his slow, teasing strokes.

Naruto's eyes watered with need and his breathing quickened as he stared up at the raven. "Please... Sasuke... Faster."

With a quick smirk, Sasuke complied with Naruto's request so that the blonde was moaning and thrusting to completion.

The blonde fell back against the couch, dazed and out of breath. However, he did not have much time to recover from his state of bliss, because Sasuke had made quick work of their boxers and his pants and had already retrieved the bottle of lube and one of the condoms that Naruto kept in the stand next to the couch.

Naruto shivered when he felt the cold substance on his ass as Sasuke's fingers caressed his hole. Sasuke's well lubed fingers didn't waste anymore time before intruding upon his lover's opening, spreading it wide with two fingers to start.

Naruto groaned slightly but was still washed over with calm that it didn't bother him much.

Sasuke's fingers stretched him before curving and rubbing that sweet little spot that woke Naruto up from his blissful state and had him moaning and arching his back once more as he pushed his hips down to further impale himself upon Sasuke's fingers.

Sasuke grinned at Naruto's reaction before retracting his fingers and applying lube to his own member. Naruto squirmed on the couch and made little pleading gasps as Sasuke rubbed his head against the opening but didn't enter him. Once again he was teasing the blonde until he begged for more.

"Sasuke... please... I need you... fuck me." Naruto groaned as his eyes locked onto the raven's ever watchful orbs.

Sasuke didn't hesitate to comply as he thrust himself deep within Naruto's tight, welcoming entrance. They both breathed heavily and loudly once Sasuke was fully engulfed by Naruto but Sasuke did not wait long before pulling back and thrusting in even harder, aiming for that perfect spot that would make Naruto writhe beneath him.

Naruto moaned loudly, screaming Sasuke's name as he wrapped his arms and legs around Sasuke's frame. He thrust back just as hard, keeping in time with Sasuke's rhythm.

Sasuke rocked them harder and faster on the couch, groaning along with Naruto's audible and incredibly sexy moans before he claimed Naruto's sweet lips in a passionate kiss. Their tongues entangled and Naruto fought back with as much intensity as Sasuke. Naruto sucked on Sasuke tongue before pulling away.

The raven looked down into Naruto's lust filled blue eyes with his own hungry dark eyes.

"More!" Naruto moaned loudly before greedily attacking Sasuke's lips, engaging them in another fervent kiss.

Sasuke, of course, did not deny the blonde his plea and hastened his pace, hitting Naruto's prostrate gland with every thrust. His hand moved between their bodies to grasp Naruto's hard member and stroke it long and hard. His rhythm was sporadic as they moved closer and closer to their climax. Naruto exploded with a long and heavy moan, his body arched into Sasuke's and the muscles of his ass tightened around Sasuke's length. Sasuke managed a few more thrusts before he came, collapsing on Naruto's worn body.

Naruto's weakened arms wrapped around Sasuke's sweaty body, holding him in a loving embrace and placing a sweet kiss on Sasuke's forehead.

Sasuke breathed hard against Naruto's chest and ran his finger in circle on Naruto's sensitive flesh. Both of them were silent in their bliss for several moments before Naruto began stroking Sasuke's damp hair.

"Sasuke?" Naruto's voice was slightly cautious but normal enough not to alarm Sasuke.

"Yeah?" He replied without moving or looking up.

"Would you... I mean... Would you like to move in with me?" Naruto got out in a quick, nervous stutter.

Sasuke's eyes widened as reality firmly slapped him across his face. Yes... Yes was all Sasuke wanted to say at this moment. He wanted to look into Naruto's bright blue eyes, kiss him firmly on the lips and plead him to allow him to move in with him. But reality was cruel. He was cruel. And his heart fell because of this.

"Naruto..." Sasuke sat up as he replied in a deeply regretful voice even though he hadn't meant it to sound that way.

Naruto's voice suddenly became panicked and he moved back from Sasuke. "I mean... you don't have to say yes and I won't be made if you said no... We've only known each other for six weeks... It was probably a stupid question."

"No!" Sasuke assured him. "It's not stupid. It's a great question and I want to... I really do."

Naruto eyes lit up instantly and his frown transformed into a wide smile. "Really?"

This reaction broke Sasuke. He was so angry with himself for doing this to himself, and to Naruto. He hated the idea of hurting Naruto like this, especially when he'd just asked him to move in with him.

"Naruto... I want to... But... I can't."

Naruto's following expression felt like someone drove a knife into Sasuke's stomach. It was the most painful expression on the blonde's face he'd ever seen, and they had some rough sex... Sasuke shook that thought from his mind, as hard as it was to focus when they were both naked and post sex, he did have to focus more.

"I'm sorry Naruto... I really am. If there were some other way, I'd love to find it but I have to... I have to..." Sasuke struggled with himself. The words would not leave his tongue. All he had to say were those heart breaking words pertaining to how he was already promised to someone else. But they refused to be said. He refused to break this person who he cared about so deeply. He wanted to be with Naruto more than anyone else he'd ever met... and this was instantaneous. From the first moment they spoke, Sasuke felt something. Hell from the first moment he saw him it was there.

"Sasuke." Naruto's eyes were narrowed when Sasuke's gaze returned to them. The blonde was obviously trying to figure out what was on Sasuke's mind by staring at his expression but Naruto wasn't good enough at reading him yet. No one really was good at reading Sasuke, it was a natural Uchiha thing that allowed him to prevent his emotions and thoughts from being expressed through his face or eyes, or even his body and gestures.

"Naruto... I'm... I can't move in with you... because... I'm married."

Sasuke wanted nothing more than to shut his eyes from Naruto's reaction but his woeful eyes were unable to look away from Naruto's contorted face. His eyes widened in shock and his mouth parted slightly in anguish. Sasuke had never seen anyone look so hurt, offended and betrayed in his entire life... and he'd caused this. He was the reason for this reaction and he was the reason Naruto retreated within himself. Sasuke was left on the couch as Naruto, in a dazed shock, got up and walked the short distance to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him and shutting Sasuke out of his life for nearly a week.

"Just like that?" Kakashi asked, slightly surprised at this conclusion to the story.

"Yeah..." Sasuke replied, staring out the window rather than at his mentor. "He didn't yell at me, hit me, blame me, nothing... I think I would have preferred it that way. If he'd gotten angry at me punched me or something but he just walked away. Said nothing. I didn't even see or hear him cry. I didn't know what to do... I knew I couldn't knock on his door and ask him to let me in or let me explain, so I left."

Sasuke let out a long sigh as he pressed his forehead against the car window. "A week later... He called me on my cell, asked me to come over."

Sasuke sat nervously in Naruto's now empty living room of his apartment. Everything appeared to have been moved into his grandmother's house except for particular pieces of furniture, like the couch, that would be left behind.

Sasuke wasn't sure where to begin, especially after the completely silent welcome. Sasuke had opened the door for Naruto to stare at him with eyes that he couldn't read but he could feel the pain and sadness emanating from the blonde. Naruto said nothing as he moved aside and ushered Sasuke in before moving to the kitchen and sitting in a wooden chair from the kitchen that was placed opposite of the couch. Sasuke sat, staring at Naruto who was gazing back. Naruto, however, seemed to be in his own world of thought, not focusing on Sasuke which made it easier for Sasuke to look at him.

"Sasuke." Naruto spoke suddenly, startling Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement because he didn't know how to verbally respond.

"You have a wife." It was more of a statement than a question which made Sasuke's eyes want to avert in shame, but Sasuke focused harder on keeping eye contact.

"Yes."

"You're gay."

Sasuke paused. He wanted to explain that he didn't know he was until after the marriage, but there were signs he ignored. He pushed things to the corners of his mind because he didn't want to think about being anymore different than he already was. But that was no excuse for doing this, for leading Naruto on.

"Yes." He answered as simply as he had the first statement-question.

Naruto's eyes shut for a moment before reopening with intensity.

"Is this an affair?"

Sasuke was faced with a legitimate question this time. A question that Sasuke instantly did not know how to answer. He'd never thought of this as an affair. True he was cheating on his wife, but he didn't feel as though he was betraying her. This was a different side of him which she didn't know about, couldn't know about and wouldn't be able to please. He needed a man... he needed Naruto. He wanted to be with Naruto but he had never thought about Sakura or what her position in this was.

"No."

The intensity in Naruto's eyes was softened, whether consciously or not. He had calmed down slightly from whatever intense stress he was feeling, and Sasuke finally felt the interrogation light ease up on him.

"Do you love me?"

"What?" Sasuke was struck dumb as he faced his wife for what he believed would be the last time.

"It's not a hard question Sasuke! Do you love me?" Sakura cried in a passionate rage. She was torn between rage and heartbreak as the tears poured from her eyes and her voice broke with every word screamed in anger. "Did you ever love me?"

"Sakura, of course I love you." Sasuke attempted to explain but Sakura cut him off by throwing a pillow from their couch at his chest.

"Then how could you do this to me? Lie to me? Cheat on me with... a man! How could you _tell_ me this?" Sakura screamed, throwing another throw pillow at his face.

"I had to tell you, Sakura. I couldn't keep betraying you or anyone else like that."

"Anyone else? You mean him? You mean that whore you've been fucking up the ass for a year?" Sakura cried loudly, picking up a lamp threateningly.

"No Sakura. Me. I've been betraying myself as well as both of you." Sasuke said truthfully.

Sakura stared at him with confused eyes and her grip on the lamp loosened as she let her arms lower from their previous position that would have allowed the lamp to hurdle towards Sasuke's head.

"I was lying to everyone, including myself. I love you. I do. You're an amazing person and I love you so much it hurts. But I can't be intimate with you. I'm gay, I was gay before we got married I... I just couldn't accept it. I didn't want to so I pretended not to see the signs and instead of facing who I was I married my best friend. You are my best friend, who I love and who I betrayed. But I betrayed you before I started seeing someone else. This whole marriage is a lie. You know it's true."

Sakura's eyes welled up with tears once more and the lamp she was holding dropped to the floor, cracking slightly on one side. She covered her face with her hands and allowed Sasuke to come near her to embrace her. She sobbed into her hands that her pressed against his chest. He wrapped his arms comfortingly around her small body, holding her close to him.

No matter how this all started, no matter how many lies Sasuke told or how many people he'd betrayed, he was settling everything right now. He had to make everything right, no matter how much it was going to hurt Sakura. Living a lie for the next forty or sixty years of their life would have been more painful than this inevitable break-up, for both of them. Sasuke had to end this and face who he was without the marriage to hide behind.

"Do you love him?"

Kakashi's sudden question brought Sasuke out of his memories and back to his seat in the car which had stopped outside Sasuke's apartment building.

Sasuke's breath seemed to be caught in his throat as a build up of emotion threw him off guard. He glanced shyly over to his silver haired mentor with sad, heartbroken eyes that had lost everything precious to them. Tears threatened Sasuke dark, normally stoic eyes as he let out a deep sigh and lowered his eyes to his lap. Kakashi's hand gripped Sasuke's shoulder as the raven covered his eyes with his right hand.


	3. Unfinished Business

**Hey guys, I'm back. I told you I've never drop a fic and here you are: The next installation in the Stay-Remain series. School is now starting to calm down (considering it's basically over except I have three more exams left to write) and I've put this on my writing list for the summer so hopefully I'll be updating regularly over the next four months. **

**I warn you I am continuing the flashbacks and flash-presents (I'm making that a term) in the same manner as I did in the last chapter. They will be unexpected and triggered by one sentence, there will be no line breaks or anything so they might be disoriented but that is the initial effect of this technique. I like fragmented plots, I'm sorry but this is a skill I'm starting to develop so I'm using it when appropriate.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Three:**

Iruka sat on the stool of Ichiraku Ramen next to Naruto. He was fidgeting rather badly for someone his age but he didn't know what he should do. Just earlier that day, Naruto had come into his office and dropped into his chair with a loud sigh. When he inquired what was wrong with the younger man, all Naruto said was if they could go to Ichiraku Ramen for lunch. There was no way Iruka was rejecting this offer with the way Naruto was acting.

"Naruto?" Iruka finally asked. "Are you okay?"

Naruto didn't look up from the ramen he was currently playing with. That was an even stranger for the blonde's normal behavior. Usually, the ramen set in front of Naruto only had a split second before it was vigorously inhaled.

"Naruto...?" He prodded once again, trying to encourage Naruto to look at him.

With a soft sigh, Naruto placed his chopsticks down and turned to look at his mentor. It was the first time Naruto had looked up at him all day. Iruka's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of Naruto's deep bags underneath his eyes and the exhausted look about his eyes as well as posture.

"Is everything all right?" Iruka was obviously very worried about Naruto but he didn't want to push anything. Naruto had been happy for so long that it was strange to see him back to the depressive state Sasuke had left him in before.

Naruto was silent for a moment. He didn't want to come out with it but he guessed there was no other way. "I saw Sasuke at the theatre last night."

Iruka's eyes almost widened in shock but he forced himself to remain composed. "Oh? Did he say anything to you?"

"Yeah... we talked... had a _somewhat _normal conversation."

"Well that's not too bad-"

"I think he's dating someone..."

Iruka paused, taking in this information and comparing it to how Naruto was behaving. "That's good isn't it. You're dating someone, he's dating someone... Isn't it a good thing that you're both moving on?"

Naruto sighed, shaking his head. He was clearly angry with himself now. "Yes. Of course it's a good thing but why..."

"Why do you feel like it's a bad thing?" Iruka asked intelligently.

Naruto sighed once more. He knew the answer, he just didn't want to admit it. "Because I'm jealous..."

Now it was Iruka's turn to sigh. "Naruto. It's only natural for you to feel that way after you've gone six months without so much as a word from him. You're shocked at the change. You shouldn't dwell on it so much."

"I know..." Naruto did understand that it was completely logical but everything seemed to be against him right now. "But..."

"But nothing Naruto." Iruka hated being blunt but when the occasional called for it... "You have to move on. Stop being nostalgic for something that never existed."

Naruto rounded on his mentor, eyes full of anger and offense. He could not believe Iruka had just said that. "What do you mean 'never existed'?"

Iruka hadn't meant to get such a reaction out of Naruto with his words, but what he said was the truth.

"You keep looking back on the past and remembering how good things were with Sasuke, how much you loved him but you keep forgetting that Sasuke wasn't good to you. With everything he put you through... Naruto... you're better without him so stop trying to recapture a love that didn't exist."

Naruto's eyes frowned but a hint of anger remained. "I never forgot how much he hurt me. I can never forget how much of a wreck I was when I was with him." But he also couldn't forget how happy he was when he was in Sasuke's arms. He couldn't forget those first few weeks when they're first met and how Naruto was the happiest person in the world. He couldn't forget how much he wanted to be with him and how great a life they could have had together if Sasuke hadn't been married.

Iruka's eyes never averted from Naruto as they ate in silence for the next few minutes.

"I asked him to move in you know." Naruto said randomly, staring at his ramen.

"Gaara?" Iruka beamed, glad at the change in conversation. "That's great! How did he-"

"No... not Gaara."

Iruka's eyes narrowed in confusion before it dawned on him. "Naruto-"

"Back when I first met him... after six weeks actually... before I moved into Grams old house. I had asked Sasuke to move in with me."

Naruto sat contemplative for a moment, staring at his ramen. Iruka was observing him cautiously. He didn't want what he was thinking to happen, not again. Naruto had been through enough of this.

"So... I'm confused." Naruto continued in a less serious, somber voice. "Why... if after only six weeks I can ask someone to move in with me... but now... Gaara asked for us to move in together after being together for six months... and I can't say yes. Sure it's the same number but there are a hell of a lot more days in months than there are in weeks. It makes no sense!"

Iruka's was slightly taken aback from Naruto's emotional flip. Just moments ago he had been depressing and solemn, now he was expressing his confusion in a comical and eccentric manner.

"I love Gaara... Iruka, I really do. He's so good to me and I love being around him. He's the reason I... he's the reason I know what a functional relationship is supposed to be like. Without him... I wouldn't have gotten the courage to break things off with Sasuke."

Naruto sank back into his depression, poking his ramen with his chopsticks.

"From what I hear... Kiba was the one-"

"Well yeah... he was. He kept me alive and functioning but he'd been saying the same things for a year. They start to wear off if they're from the same person ya'know. But Gaara, he didn't even know, still doesn't know and yet... him being there, him wanting to be with me... and only me... that clicked."

"Then what's the problem?" Iruka asked cautiously, taking the last bite of his ramen.

"I... I don't think... well... I'm not..."

"Ready?" Iruka chimed in, helping the stumbling blonde with his lack of words.

"Yeah..." Naruto sighed in realization. He wasn't ready to take the next step with Gaara. He was still healing and he needed time to sort things out. Especially these new things...

"Maybe if I never see him again, then I can move on."

Iruka's eyes practically frowned at him in disapproval. It was a bad idea to think that avoiding the problem could make it go away, Naruto should know this.

"I know... stupid idea..." Naruto grumbled, taking his first real bite of his now cold ramen. "I just wish... I just wish I knew how to deal with this. I mean, god, did he ever really love me?"

Sasuke's eyes opened wide at this new question. He'd handled the other ones as calmly and as straight forward as possible, but this new question caused his heart to practically stop beating in his chest.

"Naruto... I..."

"It's a yes or no answer, Sasuke. Just like the rest of them." Naruto bit his lower lip but he refused to let his eye contact with the raven break. It killed him and he wanted to look away but he had to make sure that Sasuke knew he was serious.

"But it's more complicated than that, Naruto."

"You're married, you're gay and this isn't an affair... I don't think it could get any more complicated than that, Sasuke." Naruto cried. Attempting to keep his composure and not lose his temper was becoming incredibly difficult the longer he watched the raven haired man squirm in his living room.

"I love you more than I've loved anyone on this planet." Sasuke spoke in one breath, his eyes staring intensely into Naruto's wavering cerulean eyes. "But-"

Instantly Naruto broke eye contact, looking down. He had been so happy when Sasuke returned his love with exuberance, despite how well he contained it, but he couldn't take any buts. He couldn't imagine how someone could proclaim his love so deeply, so sincerely, but have something contradicting how he felt.

"I also love my wife... and I'm..." Sasuke trailed off, searching himself for the words that wouldn't come to him. It was as though the universe was punishing him for putting them all in this position and now they were holding any redeemable words that he could use hostage.

Here it comes, Naruto thought. He loves his wife and he's going to return to her because he has to be faithful... he can't hurt his wife whose hand he took and whose vows he honored. Instead he had to hurt Naruto. It was simply a fling and he should have never stepped out of his closet.

"I'm just so confused..." Sasuke finally sighed, burying his face in his hands.

Naruto's head jerked up and his eyes were immediately upon Sasuke. "What?"

"I don't... I don't know what to do, Naruto." Sasuke mumbled.

"Sasuke..." Naruto spoke softly. He wanted to move in front of the raven and take him in his arms. He wanted to comfort the man he could tell was honestly hurting inside but he stopped himself, telling himself that he was hurting just as much as Sasuke and that Sasuke was the one who caused this. He didn't want to blame the man he loved but, to be honest, it couldn't have really been anyone else's fault... could it?

"Naruto... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for doing this to you... I just..." Sasuke rose his face and Naruto could tell he was restraining tears as best he could. "I love you. And meeting you felt like I'd finally found myself. Being with you was the best thing that ever happened to me and I... I just don't want to give you up."

Naruto averted his eyes, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. His breathing quickened and he felt his heart speed up to an unmatchable rate.

"I..."

Sasuke moved forward to kneel on the floor in front of Naruto, taking his hands into his own. Naruto tried to struggle and remove his hands but Sasuke gripped them tightly, forcing Naruto to glance down. The intensity and determination in Sasuke's eyes stunned the blonde. The little breath that remained in his lungs has disappeared and he couldn't break away.

"Naruto... I don't think I can give you up."

Instantly Naruto let out a shaky breath which quickly turned into cries of mixed emotions that he was unable to decipher. He couldn't tell if he was happy, sad, disappointed, angry or any other emotions that would seem appropriate for this type of situation.

Naruto's head had dropped so that he wasn't looking at the raven anymore, but rather his lap. That didn't stop Sasuke from being able to lift one of his hands to gently caress the blonde's cheek. This only caused further tears to pour from Naruto's eyes. He didn't know how much more he could take this. He knew how incredibly wrong this situation was but he couldn't stop himself from wanting the man before him. In just a few weeks he'd become everything to him and he didn't think he was capable of loving anyone more than he was in love right this moment.

Slowly, gradually, and cautiously he could feel Sasuke moving closer to him, matching his height. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and as Sasuke lifted his cheek and his breath feel upon his lips, Naruto suddenly blurted out:

"Leave your wife."

Sasuke's actions stopped dead in their tracks and he pulled away from the blonde. He couldn't see his face but Naruto could only imagine the amount of shock written in his eyes.

"What?" Sasuke asked, clearly taken off guard.

After taking a deep, long breath, Naruto sighed and he allowed his eyes to open and instantly connect with Sasuke's confused and stunned darker orbs. Formulating his words, Naruto bit his lower lip before continuing.

"If you... If you leave your wife. Then we can be together."

He knew it was wrong and he punched his metaphorical self in the gut for every word he spoke but he couldn't help it. He loved this man and wanted to be with him. Naruto didn't know this woman who was his wife, and what would a heterosexual woman want with a gay man? Sure he's been a good husband so far but eventually she'd get suspicious when he started redecorating the living room in better taste than she could have ever come up with. And the sex, the sex couldn't be as good as Naruto had been having sex with Sasuke. Clearly this was a better option.

"Naruto... I..."

"That's the only way, Sasuke." Naruto spoke as calmly as possible but his anxiety was leaking through. "Do you love me or not?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to argue with Naruto again but he stopped himself when he heard Naruto's question. "I do... I really do."

Naruto nodded, biting his lip and speaking before he lost all composure. "Then what's it going to be?"

"Naruto..." Sasuke began, uncertain at first as he searched himself before he proceeded slowly. "You can't ask me to leave my wife."

He broke. Everything in Naruto snapped at that very moment and he stood up suddenly, nearly knocking Sasuke back from the force. The blonde glared down with the tears he'd been holding back now streaming freely down his cheeks.

"Can't I?" Naruto almost screamed into the near empty space of his apartment. Sasuke moved back and went to stand up but Naruto stepped forward and stopped him. For once Naruto wanted the higher ground in this situation. "You're gay, Sasuke! Your wife, needless to say, does not have a fucking penis!"

"Naruto." Sasuke chided gently, only further upsetting the blonde.

"Don't you even, Sasuke! I am not going to be scolded for telling the fucking truth! For fuck's sake, Sasuke!" Naruto cried out, running his hands through his hair and bringing them down in a tense movement, locking his arms at the elbow and gripping the air with his fingers. "What the hell am I to you if I'm not an affair?"

Sasuke, as slowly as possible, got to his feet and stood to meet Naruto's height. This time Naruto didn't try to stop him from standing, he simply glowered at him through the tears, gripping his hands into tight fists at his sides.

"I... Naruto... I've never thought of this as an affair."

"You're sleeping with a man behind your wife's back! What else could it be?"

"Sakura has had nothing to do with our relationship."

Naruto winced at the name, sorry that he'd ever heard it. Before he could at least think of her as an oblivious wife who would benefit from leaving a gay husband... But now... Now he knew she was real. Now he couldn't deny his involvement and intrusion into their relationship. Sure, Sasuke was probably always gay and he'd started to figure it out, which is why he was in the gay bar last night, but Naruto was the one to make him realize this. Naruto was his first, first gay relationship and first affair, and he... he had just asked him to break the heart of this woman. How could he wish this kind of pain upon another living human?

"When I'm with you," Sasuke continued, attempting a step forward, "she doesn't exist."

Naruto's eyes widened in offense and he immediately shoved Sasuke back. "How can you say that! She's your wife, Sasuke!"

Sasuke's eyes contorted in confusion. "But you... you asked me to leave her."

"I know I did!" Naruto cried, covering his eyes with his hand so he didn't have to look at Sasuke anymore. "I just... I never realized that... that this will hurt her too."

Again, Sasuke tried moving forward. "It won't hurt her, Naruto. She doesn't know about this."

"But she will! Eventually she'll figure it out Sasuke, and I can't be with you when you're with her! I'm not going to be that person, Sasuke. You can't make me be that person..."

Naruto sighed as his energy waned. Fighting this person who he loved so much was becoming more difficult by the moment and the closer Sasuke moved, the less Naruto wanted to fight him. With Sasuke's outstretched hand hovering intensely close to his arm, Naruto wanted nothing more than to fall into Sasuke's arms and have the raven hold him tightly, telling him that he loved him.

"I don't want you to be that person, Naruto." Sasuke whispered tenderly, placing his hand on Naruto's arm and caressing softly.

"Does that mean...?" Naruto lowered his hand and allowed himself to trail off, hoping that Sasuke would complete his sentence in the way that would benefit himself. It hurt him to imagine Sakura's reaction to this but... it would happen eventually right? Eventually Sasuke would need to come out as gay and break his wife's heart, right? So why couldn't it be now, right now, before their marriage continued any longer and caused Sakura more pain?

"Just give me time, Naruto. Can you do that?" Sasuke asked, lifting Naruto's chin to gain proper eye contact.

Naruto sniffed back all tears, and breathed deeply as he gazed into his lover's serious eyes. "Do you love me?"

"Yes, Naruto. I love you." Sasuke answered without hesitation.

"And you want to be with me?"

Sasuke nodded, a small, reassuring smile gracing his lips. "More than anything."

"So... you'll leave your wife... to be with me?" Naruto spoke cautiously, both for himself and for Sasuke. He hated himself for asking this but to more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Yes he was hurting this woman by taking her husband, but she would lose him eventually anyway and the sooner... the less it would hurt.

The raven took a deep breath, averting his eyes as he considered all his options before looking back and connecting their gazes once again. "I... I will."

Once more Naruto broke out in tears, but not the same angry, frustrated and broken tears he was experiencing before. These were tears of relief, relief that he didn't have to give up what he'd found during those six weeks.

Gently, Sasuke's hand reached to cup his face and his thumb stroked the flesh below his eyes, removing the tears that fell. Naruto laughed into the tears as Sasuke enveloped the blonde in a tight embrace and Naruto reciprocated.

"I should have known..." Naruto murmured as he twirled the ramen in his bowl with his chopsticks. "From the very beginning... I should have known."

Iruka sighed as he reached over, gripping Naruto's shoulder. "I'm sorry things didn't work out, Naruto." Although Iruka had never condoned the affair, he legitimately sympathized with Naruto's situation and how much the blonde had suffered because of this man. Naruto was like a son or a little brother to Iruka, and he was protective of the kid, giving him enough cause to file Sasuke Uchiha in his seriously dislike folder.

"It's not your fault that you couldn't see through his lies, Naruto."

"I know..." The blonde dropped his chopsticks and pushed the bowl away from him, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose when he felt the tears coming on too strong.

"Sometimes... you just can't tell when someone is lying when they tell you that they love you." Iruka continued, trying to take as much blame off the blonde as he could.

"I love you, Naruto..." Sasuke whispered sweetly into Naruto's ear as they cuddled on the couch, attempting to watch a movie that they knew they would never finish. (1)

"Hey blondie!" The raven haired man called from the kitchen, drawing the other man to the doorway to greet the rain-drenched man. Naruto chuckled at the sight of Sasuke as a drowned rat standing in his kitchen. (2)

"I'll get you a towel." Naruto turned around to get a towel from the bathroom but he was stopped as his lover wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him into a cold, damp hug.

"You're freezing! And you're getting me wet! Let me go!" The blonde laughed, struggling halfheartedly against Sasuke's embrace.

But Sasuke didn't release him, instead he pulled him closer and kissed the nape of his neck before breathing onto the blonde's ear. "I love you."

"No..." Naruto shook his head into his hand, disagreeing with Iruka's words. "I know that part wasn't a lie..."

The blonde stood up and took the money for both of their lunches out of his wallet, placing it on the counter with a generous tip. He turned away from his mentor, meaning to head back to his car but he stayed there for a moment.

"That part... that feeling... there's no way that could have been a lie."

Iruka sighed loudly and shook his head as he watched Naruto walk back to his car. His eyes glanced over at the barely touched ramen in Naruto's bowl and he couldn't stop himself from thinking something bad was going to happen. Considering Naruto's earlier statement... it probably was better if Naruto never saw Sasuke again.

* * *

Six bullets exited the barrel of the Smith & Wesson pistol, landing directly in the center of the target at the end of the firing range.

Sasuke sighed as he took the ear muffs down, allowing them to rest around his neck.

"Nice shooting." Sasuke's mentor spoke from behind him, nearly startling the raven if he didn't have such skilled composure.

"Do you always need to sneak in out of nowhere?" Sasuke asked, obviously frustrated and still armed.

Kakashi chuckled to himself as he studied Sasuke's body language from above his book, which was currently and always in his hand at work. "You don't spend much time in the firing range. I figured you could use an ear."

Sasuke stared back at Kakashi's calculating eyes before putting the ear muffs back in place. "You guessed wrong."

Kakashi rolled his eyes, placing his book down and pulling the ear muffs from off Sasuke's head before he could properly aim his gun for the new target.

"What do you want, Hatake?" Sasuke growled with his back to the silver haired man.

"You're avoiding something." Kakashi stated. "Now talk."

Sasuke grumbled to himself as he turned his gun over in his hand. The choices were simple. On one hand, he could aim at his target anyway and damage his eardrums a little bit. On the other hand, he could turn around an put a few rounds in his intruder's chest. And, of course, on Kakashi's hands there was the option of putting the gun down, turning around and having a civil conversation with his mentor.

He sighed as he put the gun back into its holster and turned around to face Kakashi's expectant face.

"Naruto?" Kakashi asked simply.

"Yes and no." Was Sasuke's clipped reply.

"You want advice?"

"Not really."

"Let it go." Kakashi advised, despite Sasuke's rejection. "I know you love him but you fucked up and he's moved on."

"But there's still-"

"A spark? A connection?" Kakashi asked and Sasuke gritted his teeth and averted his eyes, confirming Kakashi's words. "There always will be, Sasuke. But sometimes you just need to move on."

"You're suggesting I should just forget about him?" Sasuke snapped, glaring at his mentor and his unbelievably cliche advice.

"No, but you can't wait for him, Sasuke."

Sasuke breathed deeply, averting his eyes once more as he reached into his holster and pulled out his handgun. "Just watch me," he spoke as he turned to the target and fired three rounds into the dead center of the target.

Kakashi shook his head in disapproval but he knew there was no sense in arguing with the raven haired man at this point. Perhaps he would try to reason with him later, when Sasuke wasn't armed.

"What else?" He asked, referring to Sasuke's mixed answer.

"Sakura." Sasuke stated simply without turning around or lowering his handgun, despite the fact that he was no longer planning to shoot the target.

"How is the ex-wife?" Kakashi asked cautiously yet in a light tone. Sasuke never enjoyed seriously discussing Sakura, especially around the precinct because she was a well known visitor by Sasuke's side. She was cheerful and always brought them some sort of baked good to keep them going. It was a tough subject for everyone really, and several of Sasuke's co-workers lost a certain level of respect for him because of it.

"Not quite an ex yet." The guilt over their situation slowly crept into Sasuke's voice. He was torn up over how many people he'd hurt with his affair and the damage he'd done to his best friend refused to subside. Sakura hadn't deserved this kind of live... but, even though it was Sasuke's fault for lying to both himself and Sakura, it didn't make this divorce any easier for either of them.

"She hasn't signed the divorce papers?" Kakashi asked curiously. Surprised that Sakura was still clinging to this relationship. Sure they were best friends before this, but he figured any woman who was cheated on would want to distance themselves from the cheater as quickly as possible.

"No..." Sasuke sighed, finally lowering his pistol. "And I don't feel like I have the right to go over there and ask her to."

"Give her time." Kakashi suggested, this time not so sure of himself. Women weren't a very familiar subject for him.

Sasuke groaned inwardly at that response. Time, all people talked about was time. Things will get better in time, in time you'll stop waiting on Naruto, in time you'll accept your position. Sasuke was beginning to hate time and the fact that it brought him further and further away from the best times of his life... Away from his time with Naruto... Away from when Sakura was his best friend... and towards sadness and depression and guilt and self-loathing... and being completely and utterly alone.

"Do you think she'll ever forgive me?" Sasuke asked the one person who was left that still gave him the time of day.

Kakashi stood there silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. Again, these types of talks weren't his speciality and he wished there was someone else who could act as Sasuke's mentor since childhood when these serious conversations came up, but he always tried his hardest to give the younger answers that would benefit him.

"She might... one day." Kakashi answered as honestly as possible. He didn't know Sakura that well, having transferred after their had dissolved their marriage but considering her generous and caring behavior and how well he had been told they worked together in the past... Kakashi believed that one day she might be able to forgive him.

"I really hope she does." Sasuke exhaled slowly as he uncharacteristically rung his hands together. Lately he'd been so completely far from himself, losing his personality because he was constantly thinking about how much he missed the people he loved. He wanted to turn back time and realize that he was gay before he proposed to Sakura. That way they could still be friends and when he met Naruto... they wouldn't have had to have the kind of relationship that they had. But everything was messed up now... and it was all his fault. And all he wanted was to have his lover back in his arms and his best friend by his side.

* * *

**(1) In case this was confusing, this was a small memory that Naruto is consciously remembering at that moment.**

**(2) Again, if it was confusing, this memory is separate from the couch "I love you" memory and is a memory from a different day or month when it was raining. It's an additional memory in the "I love you"'s from Sasuke memories that Naruto is consciously remembering to think over whether Sasuke loved him or not.**


	4. Perspectives

**As this is story is becoming very similar to the memory plays I'm working on through these flashback scenes... I'm going to say this again. I will not be putting any line breaks or italics on the flashback scenes. This is a transition technique. It is supposed to be disorienting, this is my goal. I'm not going for a simple: "Here is everything in absolute simple terms so everyone knows exactly what is going on at a given time" type of story. You guys may end up confused for a little while, but think of how much fun you get to have connecting the fragmented pieces of story together on your own! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Four: **

"Will you stop that!" Sakura giggled, slapping the hand away from her thigh. It had been the third time his hand wandered up her skirt, caressing her sensitive skin in a slow, teasing motion. However, each time she laughed and played around with him, enjoying the little game they were playing with each other.

Sakura started to relax when his hand lay dormant on her knee while he moved closer, as if to cuddle with her to finish watching the movie but instead, his lips attached to the very sensitive spot on her throat.

"Cut it out!" She laughed, pushing him away with a smile on her face and a smirk on his.

"Okay, okay. I promise." He chuckled, cautiously moving back to cuddle with her. Sakura was suspicious of him, but she let him closer and allowed him to wrap his arm around her shoulder.

Her trust, however, was broken when the hand that was positioned on her shoulder traveled lower to grope her breast. Sakura squealed instantly and shoved him clean off the couch.

"I'm serious! You're not doing anything like that until we're married!"

On the floor, he had been doubled over in fits of laughter at his childish behavior, but once she spoke, he restrained his laughter and sat himself up on the floor.

"What if that were happening?" He said as he knelled in front of her, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the ring box.

"Oh my god..." Sakura's scolding stopped instantly as she covered her mouth in anticipation.

Slowly the ring box opened to reveal a beautiful diamond ring with two smaller pink diamonds sitting on either side of the larger diamond.

"Sakura, there is no other person I would rather spend the rest of my life with than with my best friend."

With a gasp, Sakura began to cry at his soft spoken words.

"What do you say?" He nudged her knee and instantly she was down on the floor with him, arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"Yes! Sasuke, of course I'll marry you!"

Sakura sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes as she gazed down at the wedding picture. They were smiling, they were happy, and Sasuke's arms were wrapped around her in the tightest hug. She had thought he was going to squeeze her out of her strapless dress at how tightly he had been holding her as he lifted her into the air.

"No one you'd rather spend your life with, huh Sasuke?" Tears splashed on the glass as the rosette gripped the picture frame so hard that the class began to crack.

She could no longer express the rage and humiliation she was feeling in a healthy manner anymore. She'd been doing yoga and meditation, really any classes she could find to distract her from punching a hole through the wall of their... _her _bedroom. Now it had been months and she'd finally decided to spend some actual time in her home... the home she had shared with Sasuke for years.

Over the past few months, Sakura had been taking so many classes and working overtime so she wouldn't have to return to the house in the daytime. Then she'd wake up as early as possible every morning so she could shower and be out the door as quickly as possible. The cafe down the street became accustomed to her early routine and her order of a bagel with extra cream cheese, one espresso and a french vanilla coffee with extra whipped cream topping.

Sakura simply couldn't stand to be in the house that was so full of Sasuke. He was everywhere and it killed her to be around him like that. She had been betrayed, humiliated and left to rot... but she still loved him. It wasn't that she couldn't let him go... she simply didn't know how to. He was everything to her and he always had been. Without him, she wasn't sure who she was anymore.

Today she found herself determined to come back to her home and spend actual time within the house. Her plans consisted of packing up everything that Sasuke had left behind. He had taken most of his belongings with him when he left but there were the things that had belonged to the both of them that had been left behind.

"How could you do this to me?" She yelled at the smiling photograph as she tossed it violently into the box of things that reminded her of Sasuke. One of his sweaters that he'd forgotten because Sakura was always wearing it, some of the stuffed animals he had bought her during the time they had dated, photos of him or photos of them together, and random pieces of jewelry he had bought her. It wasn't as if she could really bring herself to really get rid of them... but she couldn't go on walking by it everyday and crying upon seeing them.

Getting up she picked up the pictures on the mantel she had been in the process of packing and threw them all off the shelf onto the floor. Sakura reveled in the shattering sounds the glass emitting into her house and, despite the guilt she felt at her anger, she was glad to finally be expressing this terrible emotion that had been welled up inside her for so long. She hadn't wanted to be angry at Sasuke once he left. She wanted to live positively and rid herself of negative energy... but it was there. The hatred and rage was always present, even though she loved him.

Dropping to her knees, she buried her head in her arms, gripping her hair tightly, as if she wanted to pull it out in frustration but was too conflicted.

"Why... Sasuke... Why?"

Sakura jumped suddenly at the sound of her doorbell. After a few more sobs, she attempted to pull herself together and she wiped her eyes on the sleeves of her blouse as she stood up. Breathing deeply, she removed as many tears or signs of crying that she was able to in the small amount of time that it took for her to walk from her living room to the front door.

Slowly she opened to door to nearly slam it closed once again but she refrained and managed to keep the door open by gripping the handle as tightly as she could.

"Sasuke." Sakura greeted as politely as her voice would allow her.

Sasuke smiled sadly. It was obvious she had been crying and for quiet some time. Her eyes were red and puffy, and some tears were still gathering. Seeing her like this... made him want to hurl himself off a cliff for having caused her such grief.

"Hi, Sakura... I'm sorry for coming by so late."

"Late?" Sakura asked, obviously put off balance by his presence. She was unsure of herself or the space around her and it wasn't a mystery.

"It's... eight o'clock." Sasuke explained.

Frantically Sakura looked down at her wrist, surprised by the time. She had gotten home from work at four o'clock in the afternoon and had planned to clean out the entire house of Sasuke's things, starting with the living room. Which meant she had spent four hours in the living room with only half of one box packed while she stared at photos.

"Are you..." Sasuke stopped himself. He didn't want to ask if she was all right. She clearly wasn't and it was all his fault, he couldn't be the one to ask that question.

"The time just... flew by I guess." Sakura attempted to brush this off, despite being upset with herself for being drawn so deeply in by her memories with the man standing before her.

Sasuke nodded understandingly. He didn't want to intrude on her or pressure her to reveal what was on her mind. Sakura was upset and he was rather positive that he was still the cause of it, considering she still had not signed the divorce papers. Added to the fact that this was the first time she had seen him since their meeting about the divorce.

"Um... Sakura?" Sasuke finally broke the incredibly awkward silence.

"Yeah?" She started, jumping ever so slightly at his voice but never actually looking up at his face.

"We've been standing here for five minutes." He stated as softly as possible. He could be lying if he hadn't come here for a reason but he didn't want her to think that he was pushing things on her. Sasuke loved her... and he missed having her in his life. Honestly, he just wanted to make everything right again but considering what he'd done... he didn't know how that was possible.

"I'm sorry!" Sakura exclaimed and moved out of the way of the door, allowing Sasuke passage. "Please, come in."

Some part of Sakura couldn't believe that she had to saw these things to the man who, not long ago, was her own husband and who had lived in this house... it was his house as much as it was hers yet through the divorce, he was leaving it to her.

Sasuke cautiously walked in, not wanting to offend her by coming off as too familiar with the space even though he had been living there for years with Sakura.

Sakura closed the door behind him and he slowly made his way down the hall, stopping at the first open door frame which led into the living room. He couldn't say that he wasn't shocked by the general disarray of the living room which was normally tidy and orderly, but he was quite capable of hiding this surprise. All his detective work was paying off, he could easily mask any emotion if he tried.

Sakura followed him in and fell short behind him. She stared at the room in disbelief. Moments before she hadn't been paying close attention to the space around her and now that she had a break and was able to view the room with a slightly clearer mind, she was astounded at herself. Her half packed box was sitting in the middle of the floor but the area surrounding it showed the reasons why it was taking her so long to pack. Pictures had been knocked off the mantels, shattered glass surrounding them, broken frames and fractured ornaments, even a stuffed animal that Sasuke had bought her for Valentine's day five years ago was ripped open.

"I... um... was packing and..." Sakura floundered for words but couldn't find any reasonable explanation for the anger displayed by her obvious destruction of the property before them.

"Sakura," Sasuke turned around to face her with a calm and sympathetic expression, "it's alright. You don't have to explain."

Sakura squinted as tears threatened to form once again but she looked down and held them back. She didn't want Sasuke to be so understanding and good to her. It wasn't how this was supposed to work. He hadn't been good to her at all! He'd cheated on her with a man of all things for a year! Sakura had every right to hate him and be mad at him, to yell at him for stepping into their home and she didn't need an excuse to destroy the things he'd given to her when all along he'd been lying to her face.

"Why are you here, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, finally allowing herself to be confrontational.

Sasuke breathed in deeply, attempting to calm himself. He didn't want to draw this out any longer than they had to, considering how much his presence was damaging his ex-wive... or rather soon to be ex-wife. He didn't want to simply get straight to the point but given the circumstances, Sasuke didn't know if he really had any other choice.

"Sakura..." Sasuke started off, catching her gaze and staring her straight in the eyes.

Sakura's eyes were watery, quivering and it was apparent that she did not want to look Sasuke in the eye, however, she couldn't look away. Sasuke's piercing eyes captivated her and warned her in a gentle manner not to look away.

"It's been four months..." Sasuke continued, trying to delay the subject for as long as possible.

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Four months?"

"Since we... since we decided to get a divorce."

Sakura's eyes averted at the last word but Sasuke could tell they hardened, just as her voice became sharper. "I'm aware of that."

Sasuke sighed inwardly. Sakura had every right to be upset but, as Kakashi kept assuring him, four months was a long time for a woman, who'd been cheated on, not to sign divorce papers.

"Sakura, I know how hard this is-"

"Oh do you?" Sakura's sharp voice cut through Sasuke's calm, cautionary words. "You know exactly how I feel? How difficult it is for me to come home to my own house because you're everywhere? You understand that, do you Sasuke?"

Sasuke frowned, She had every right to yell at him, to make him feel just as miserable as he'd made her... not that Sasuke didn't already feel like his heart had been ripped out. Sasuke simply knew that his damaged heart was his own fault, which was why he stood and took the much deserved abuse.

"I can't even turn the light son when I come home, Sasuke." Sakura glowered at Sasuke's chest, as she refused to look at him directly. "I get up at first break, get dressed and go to the cafe down the street and then I don't come back until it's too dark to see my own hands in front of me." Sakura breathed in hard through her nose as her tears, hushed previously, began to rise again in the corner of her eyes. She locked her jaw, staring Sasuke dead in his dark, calm eyes. "And you think you can tell me that you know how hard that is for me?"

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in sympathy but he said nothing.

"And that." Sakura pointed an accusatory finger at Sasuke's face, turning his expression into one of confusion. "That sympathetic look is all people give me yet they congratulate me for the very things I do to avoid this house. I go to yoga classes, pottery classes, art classes. You want to know how many times I've been to the gym this week?" Sakura's voice grew in volume and hatred. "Yet all I ever hear is how good it is for me to be doing things with my life, how proud they are that I'm moving on, how they can't believe how strong I am to return to work so soon, how much they look up to me for handling this so well - Well I'm not Sasuke!"

Her tears fell off her cheek and Sasuke took a slow step forward, moving to comfort the rosette. Immediately, Sakura slapped his hand away as it approached her face. "Don't touch me!"

"Sakura, I'm sorry." Sasuke spoke in a hushed tone, lowering his arms to his side.

"Sorry?" She questioned him with an offended look. "You're sorry for what, Sasuke? Sorry for sleeping around on me?"

Sasuke lowered his eyes, ashamed. "Yes..."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Are you sorry for spending a year with that man?"

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at her harsh words that almost appeared to be dripping with venom. He stared up at her piercing, pale green eyes before he breathed in slowly. "No."

Sakura's strong, steady and angered glare faltered and her head tilted in an aggressive confusion. "What?" She asked sharply.

"Sakura... I can't explain how much I hate myself for betraying you, for hurting you."

Sakura's eyes hardened but she didn't say anything, prompting Sasuke to continue... or rather threatening him that if he didn't give her a proper answer, he'd regret it.

"But I... I could never regret meeting Naruto."

Sakura's eyes flickered with acknowledgement of that name. She didn't recognize it, or who it belonged to, but now she had a name to associate with that person. He wasn't simply a faceless gay man who'd stolen her husband from her. She had wished to never hear a name because if that man had a name... it would make him just as human as herself and she couldn't bare that. She wished to hate him as a nameless, faceless entity of evil... and now she felt guilt for this man rising in her chest and she had to force her anger to grow in order to stifle it.

"Then it's me." This wasn't a question, it was a statement which made Sasuke's determined expression falter back to confusion while Sakura's became hard and stoic. "You regret marrying me."

Sasuke's eyes closed briefly as he inhaled deeply. When he opened his dark eyes again, he stared at her with soft, compassionate eyes. "I don't regret being with you, Sakura."

"That's not what I said, Sasuke." Sakura practically hissed.

Sasuke sighed quietly. "We both know our marriage was a mistake, Sakura."

The rosette winced before glaring at her husband. "I don't believe that."

"Sakura..." Sasuke attempted to console her but she cut him off.

"No, Sasuke. You loved me!"

"And I still do." Sasuke assured her.

"You fucking liar!" Sakura bit out. Sasuke could tell that she forced the swear word out, because Sakura wasn't used to swearing, especially on that level.

"Sakura, I'm not lying to you." Sasuke once again attempted to comfort her, but she backed away violently.

"If you... if you still loved me you wouldn't be asking me to sign those... damn papers!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed for a moment at how much effort Sakura was putting into her anger. She never swore this often and the given stress on her curses, along with the hesitant pause before she spoke them, cued him to believe she was forcing herself to express her anger in such a way.

"Sakura..." He spoke slowly, calmly and tried to get his point across as least confrontational as possible. "I'm gay."

Sakura sobbed at the word and shook her head in express denial. "No... NO! We were together for eight years! Eight years, Sasuke! Since October 2002. I remember! It was our first year at STU."

Sasuke's eyes lowered as he recalled the first time they met at a party on campus during their first year at St. Thomas University. Sasuke was there for his major in Criminology and minor in Psychology while Sakura was majoring in Women's Studies and minoring in Political Sciences. They had both wanted to help people... Sasuke in law enforcement, in particular detective work, while Sakura wanted to work as a social worker, focusing on cases concerning women. They had so much in common that they became friends quickly. Living in the same residence building made their communication much easier. They had both been living in Harrington Hall, Sakura in a female wing on the second floor with her roommate named Ino, while Sasuke was living in the basement floor of all male single rooms.

For four years they were always found together and they both stayed on residence for those four years, as did Ino... which made them all close friends. Sakura and Sasuke even stayed together when Sasuke applied to the Atlantic Police Academy and moved to the campus in Miramichi, two hours away from Fredericton, where Sakura stayed to get her Bachelor of Social Work. For two years they were apart, except during the holidays when Sakura moved to Miramichi to live with Sasuke in his apartment. They finished their programmes in two years, April 2008. The thing that probably kept them so close during those two years is that before Sasuke moved to Miramichi to attend the police academy... he had proposed to Sakura with the condition that they not marry until they completed their programs. During those two years they... mostly Sakura and Ino... planned their wedding for June 14th 2008. Which was when they were married. After that, they moved to Nova Scotia where they had both found work in the same city and that's where they've been ever since. Sasuke remembered too... all the details which made things that much harder. To remember that eight years he'd been lying to himself and his best friend... who had the misleading title of girlfriend, fiance and wife... when really she shouldn't have been any of those three things. (1)

"I know... Sakura... I remember too. You're my best friend. You always have been, since the first day I met you. It's my fault for not realizing sooner. I knew there were things about me that were different but I pushed them aside and ignored them. I should have faced them but I was a coward and because of that, I ended up hurting you. I love you so much Sakura."

Sakura choked back a sob, putting her hand to her mouth as the tears flowed. She didn't want to hear sweet words from his mouth when he was explaining once again that he preferred men and that their eight years together were a mistake.

"But I don't love you like you want me to." His words were soft and gentle but that didn't cushion the blow to Sakura's heart.

"Two years, Sasuke! We were married for two years and one of those years you were sleeping with-" _Naruto... _"-that man for half of that time!"

"I know... Sakura... I'm sorry."

"No! No you're not! You said you weren't! You claim to love me but you couldn't do that if you did!" Sakura cried.

"I do, Sakura. I do love but as a friend... as my best friend." Sasuke desperately tried to explain. God he just wanted things to return to normal but he realized that things had never truly been normal. He'd been a gay man hiding behind Sakura all these years.

"Why didn't you figure it out earlier?" Sakura breathed deeply, trying to regain her composure.

The question threw Sasuke off guard. It felt out of context and he wasn't sure what she meant. "What?"

"You had two years! Two years when we weren't together everyday like we had been in university. You were two long hours away from me. You could have done anything and I wouldn't have found out about it!"_ But for a year he's been cheating on you with a man in the same city and you wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't confessed_. Sakura reminded herself. "Why couldn't you have figured it out then, before we got married?"

Sasuke's expression fell. It was a mix between sorrow, sympathy and, most of all, it was apologetic. He didn't know how he could explain it but he hadn't known that he was gay during those times. He felt inclinations, sure, but he dismissed them. He thought he was deeply attracted to Sakura and he wouldn't accept the idea of him being attracted to males... not until Naruto. Naruto made him realize what he was, but it was Sasuke's fault for going about his discovery all wrong.

"I'm sorry, Sakura." Was all he could say. He couldn't likely say that he wished he could have figured out his orientation before they got married because that would only hurt Sakura more... despite how much truth the words would contain.

Sakura shook her head, averting her eyes. "I think you should leave."

Sasuke's head tilted and he tried to make eye contact with her. "Sakura-"

"Just go, Sasuke." Sakura nearly snapped, but he could tell her energy was waning and she simply wanted to be alone.

Sasuke sighed in disappointment, disappointed at himself for failing to make amends with Sakura and for only causing her more grief. He nodded slowly before turning to walk out, but not before leaving the papers he'd brought with him on the table, next to the phone. He exited promptly, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Once he was gone, Sakura felt her legs wobble and she moved to the couch, sitting down and burying her head in her hands as she curled up on the upholstery. She lay there, sobbing for some time before the faint ringing of her telephone prompted her to stand up and drag herself over to silence the irritating sound that infiltrated her eardrums.

"Hello?" She murmured, putting as much energy into her voice as possible.

"Hello, Sakura Uchiha? I'm calling because I'd like to-"

"That's not my name." Sakura spoke shortly, cutting off the woman on the other end of the phone conversation.

"Excuse me?" The woman sounded confused and slightly offended.

"My name isn't Sakura Uchiha anymore." The rosette spoke as she picked up the divorce papers that Sasuke had left on the stand next to the phone currently occupying the space next to her ear. "I've recently been divorced."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." The voice sounded concerned but less anxious now that she understood the reasoning behind Sakura's previous words.

"I'm Sakura Haruno now." Sakura stated with confidence as she walked back to the couch with the papers and the cordless phone. She placed the papers on the coffee table and picked up a pen, flipping through the papers to begin signing in the appropriate places. "What may I help you with?"

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed the fresh new perspective on the situation. To those who hate Sakura... deal with the fact that she's not a bad person and she's suffering just as much as Naruto. I don't believe Sakura should be hated, she's a good person.**

**(1) Sorry for all the details but I recently did a lot of research into their backgrounds and I'm pretty OCD about dates and getting back stories in proper order - I make a lot of character profiles. I really only did it for myself to figure out times and how everyone met, etc, but I figured you guys deserved to see what I worked out for these people. **


	5. Epiphany

**I am sorry for taking so ridiculously long to update this. My gravely underestimated how much time I'd have over the summer and the return to school was hectic. Also... I've recently (as in during the summer months) started cosplaying. Check out my deviantart (ID: alesuriko) for pictures of my Tira cosplay (Soul Calibur 4) for Montreal Comic Con, I won best in class so that brought me overwhelming joy for a good while and I met tealpirate and KellyJane from Parle Productions! And Vic Mignogia kissed me on the cheek! But enough bragging... add me on deviantart if you are interested in the cosplay realm. (I will be doing Sasuke/Naruto cosplay soon). **

**I have twitter and tumblr now, also under ArraFrost. Please follow me if you're interested in hearing updates more frequently about where I am in the writing process (and what new fanfics I'm thinking about writing), and ESPECIALLY if you want to pester me about sitting my butt down and actually writing because seriously, it definitely helps. I remember EllaCrain, dramagirl725 and kisa167 getting on my case about Concrete Naruto and they definitely kept me on the ball with the updates, so much thanks to them. I'm also on twitter, tumblr and deviantart a hellova lot more than I'm on fanfiction... So please keep that in mind.**

**Thanks so much to everyone who is still reading this story, I know it's a process and I know I'm difficult to deal with in terms of updating but like I always say... I REFUSE to ever be one of those people who drop their stories. This fanfiction will never be dropped. Ever. It WILL be completed. Never doubt that. Thanks again and much love to all those who have read and reviewed! Also thanks to gummybear1620 for the inspiration... you'll know why once you read.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Five:**

Naruto sighed as he pulled into his driveway late that night. Normally if he returned this late during the evening, his headlights would be the only thing that gave him any illuminating light because the streetlights were too distant to shine near the top of his driveway. But this time, his porch light was on, as though awaiting his arrival. It could only mean one thing. Someone was inside awaiting his arrival.

Only two people, other than himself, had a key to this home. Although Kiba's key was the result of his brunet friend stealing his own key off of him, copying it on his own and returning it to his desk at the school before he could know any better... Kiba was still welcomed to keep the key despite Naruto's initial protest. It had been an interesting argument to have in the hallway outside his classroom. Once he returned to stand in front of the students, his own mini-me, as Naruto liked to silently call those particular sarcastic and quick-witted students that reminded him of himself at their age, promptly asked him if he and his boyfriend needed to visit couple's counselling. Naruto had shook his head and laughed it off claiming that he wasn't having relationship problems but rather issues in training his dog.

The other person who possessed a key to the house had been given a key freely. Although he had dropped subtle hints by arriving drastically early on evenings when they were supposed to meet up, coincidentally they were also days when he knew that Naruto had plans after school and wouldn't be returning until their appointed meeting. After that one day when Gaara had been sitting on his steps, drenched from the pouring rain, Naruto began to wonder if he was doing this on purpose. Sure it could be assumed that it would have made more sense for Gaara to wait in his _dry _car for Naruto to return but apparently his car had been in the shop and he had called a taxi to bring him to Naruto's house.

That was when Naruto decided to get a copy of his house key and give it to his partner who insisted on being early to their meetings. Naruto didn't forget to note that after his ginger boyfriend was given a key to the house, his attention to punctuality had lessened. His not-so-subtle point was well taken he'd guessed. Gaara had simply been pushing for commitment in an unconventional way that lessened the pressure that it would put on Naruto. He was lucky to have someone as creative and thoughtful as Gaara was about their relationship. Gaara was patient, but his wishes were never withheld from Naruto, in fact they were left in plain sight for whenever Naruto wanted to notice and respond to them.

Naruto stared at the window which was lit up. Gaara was likely in the living room, sitting on the couch reading a book or doing school work with the radio on a hushed volume in the background. He didn't watch television and he didn't listen to the radio loud enough to distract him.

Suddenly, Naruto felt a flush of familiarity tempered by a sense of displacement. There he was, sitting in his car, in his driveway, staring at the living room window... waiting for the nerve to get out of the car and walk into the house to greet the person waiting for him on the couch. Naruto groaned loudly and let his head fall against his steering wheel with a loud thud, just nearly avoiding the horn that would have not only alerted his boyfriend of his presence but it would have also brought Naruto back to reality by offering a shock to his sensitive eardrums. Oh how the roles were reversed after being apart for so long.

Naruto lifted his head up from the wheel as his eyes studied his feelings with concern. Why was it that he felt guilty... as if he was in Sasuke's place all those months ago when he most probably felt guilty for cheating on his wife with Naruto. His brows furrowed as he thought back to how Sasuke would wait for a moment in his car before getting out and joining him in the house... was this what it felt like? Was he coming to terms with his guilt for cheating on his wife? Not that this was what Naruto was feeling... exactly. He couldn't feel guilty for cheating when he'd never even been in an opportunity to cheat, not that Naruto would ever put someone through what he'd gone through as the other person. Naruto was simply... afraid of commitment... afraid to commit to Gaara because he was still thinking of... Sasuke...

"God..." Naruto whispered into the leather upholstery of the steering wheel as he rested his forehead against it once more. "I can't be..."

Soft knocking on his window made Naruto jump so hard his seat belt pulled roughly against him and slammed him back in his seat. The blonde's attention shot to the window as he glared with fear before he was flooded with reassurance yet apprehension.

There his redheaded boyfriend stood, obviously worried about why Naruto had been sitting in his car in the driveway for fifteen minutes, as Naruto would realize when he glanced down at the clock as he took the keys out of the ignition.

Turning his car off for the night, Naruto got out of the car to join Gaara in the driveway.

"Hey." Gaara spoke softly as both a greeting and a question.

"Uh... hi..." Naruto responded nervously without looking Gaara fully in the eye. "I was uh... just thinking... sorry if I worried you."

His sentence was spoken almost rapidly as he moved to walk past Gaara and into the house to find solitude but as soon as his back was to his boyfriend, the tone of Gaara's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Naruto."

Naruto breathed in and looked up at the clear sky. Stars shone so brightly way out in the country, away from the lights of civilization. And for once, Naruto actually thought he had some clarity in what he was thinking.

"I don't know if I can talk about it, Gaara." The blonde responded truthfully and almost too confidently for Gaara's liking.

"You can talk to me about anything." Gaara spoke softly once more, but his concern and possibly suspicion were leaking through.

"No..." Naruto sighed, turning around so he was face to face once more. "Not about this... not about..." He inhaled sharply as his guilt mounted his emotions. He knew that Gaara had given him nothing but time, patience, and love but when it came to something like this... something that Naruto felt he should feel ashamed of... but somehow didn't. Something that made Naruto suffer so deeply... yet long for so wholeheartedly... he didn't know if he could confess that to Gaara. He had not been the only one hurt by the affair... and that's what it was... Naruto had been involved in an affair. How much trust would he earn from Gaara if he exposed that? How much sympathy would he give a man that willingly and knowingly had sex with a married man, for a year? But Naruto had to be honest and accept that what Gaara would think of him wasn't his only reason for withholding this information about his recent past.

"Naruto... Why can't you tell me-"

"I just can't Gaara... Please understand." Naruto cut him off with a pleading look about his eyes. He was desperate to end this conversation, to have things be the way they were... but that was a difficult feat in itself. "Eventually I might-"

"Might?" Gaara questioned, still as calm as ever but Naruto knew he was starting to tire from the tension. He wanted answers that Naruto simply wasn't willing to give him.

"Yes... Might... It's not exactly something I'm..." Naruto stopped himself before he said that it wasn't something he was proud of. As true as it may have been, it was not at all an accurate portrayal of his and Sasuke's so-called relationship. Not to mention, if he said to Gaara that he'd done something he wasn't proud of... Gaara might jump to some conclusions that Naruto did not want to deal with or dismiss right now. So he settled by ending his sentence in a more safe and obscure manner. "...able to discuss right now."

"You're not _able_ to discuss the reason you've been avoiding me for the past week?" Gaara asked abruptly with far more conviction than his previous sentences.

Naruto was actually taken off guard by that accusation. Sure they hadn't been spending as much time as they usually did but Naruto had needed time alone to figure himself out.

"I haven't been avoiding you."

"You really believe that, Naruto?" Gaara asked, calm once again but there was a note of surprise in his voice. Surprised that Naruto honestly thought he hadn't been avoiding him.

"I..." Naruto swallowed his words, unsure of himself now. "I've just been preoccupied..."

"With what?" Gaara's question didn't seem like a question to Naruto. The tone thoroughly expressed that Gaara wasn't expecting an answer.

And he was right. Naruto's eyes averted from the shame of not being able or willing to tell Gaara the truth of what was going on in his mind.

"Naruto..." Gaara sighed. "If you're unwilling to talk to me about this..."

"It's not that I'm unwilling, Gaara. It's just that... it's difficult for me to discuss... with anyone."

"Kiba?"

"What?"

Gaara narrowed his eyes as though he were displaying a bit of jealousy, "Have you discussed this with Kiba?"

Naruto frowned and bit his lip. Technically, Kiba knew everything about what was going on... at least what was going on before Naruto started to feel what he was feeling these past days. But Naruto hadn't spoken to him about his feelings that have reawakened, he hadn't mentioned to Kiba how guilty he felt despite the fact that he hadn't technically done anything wrong.

"No, not really." Naruto answered honestly, or at least as honestly as he felt.

"Kiba doesn't know anything?" Gaara asked with disbelief. Having been with Naruto for even their short time together, it was clear that Kiba was the confidant in Naruto's life and it was particular hard for Gaara to accept that the loyal guard dog knew nothing of Naruto's current predicament.

"Well... he knows some things... But what does that matter?" Naruto's brows furrowed, finding it odd that Kiba was now part of this make-shift interrogation. Kiba was a trusted friend and had been for years, it made no sense for Gaara to be jealous of him. In point of fact, it made no sense for Gaara to be jealous at all, as Naruto hadn't seen any indication that Gaara was a jealous person.

"Kiba knows more about my boyfriend than I do." Gaara answered simply and to the point. There was no anger in the sentence or conviction, merely a plain fact that Gaara felt needed to be brought to the blonde's attention.

"Gaara..." Naruto sighed, staring at his boyfriend who may have lost the higher ground, "Kiba will probably always know more about me than you. I- I don't mean anything by that and I'm not trying to say that I don't trust you. It's just... he's been my friend for so long and well he knows everything about me... just about."

"Understood." Gaara stated simply and confused the blonde by walking past the blonde toward the door to Naruto's house.

"What?" Naruto turned and followed him. "Wait, Gaara. I- I didn't mean to offend you by that-"

"I'm not offended, Naruto. He's your best friend, I'm your boyfriend. Information is privy." And he continued into the house and into the living room, which was when Naruto noticed that Gaara hadn't bothered to put shoes on his feet. Of course that wasn't unusual, as Gaara was a rather unusual person and enjoyed bare feet for the most part.

Naruto followed his boyfriend into the house and by the time he took his shoes off and hung up his jacket, Gaara returned from the living room with his bag in hand.

"Are you leaving?" Concern dripped from Naruto's voice and he prayed he didn't destroy his relationship with the redhead.

"The taxi is on its way." Gaara stated with a brief nod.

Looking out into the driveway from the screen door Naruto took into account the emptiness of his driveway, other than his car. Which meant Gaara had planned the evening so that they would only have one form of transport out in the morning. It would have been one of those splendid evenings where they do everything together... and Naruto had ruined that. Naruto and his stupid lingering obsession to the past.

"I'm not angry." Gaara spoke as he approached the door and turned around to face his boyfriend. "You need time and I'll give it to you. Don't take too long though."

Naruto half smiled at Gaara's playful jeer but it was mixed with sadness at his boyfriend's inherit ability of being so understanding. It would have been easier to watch him leave in anger but instead he would have to deal with a stronger sense of guilt and shame boiling in his stomach.

Gaara opened the door and stepped through, glancing back at Naruto one last time.

"I'm sorry, Gaara... I wish-" Was all Naruto could get out before Gaara silenced him with a soft gesture of his hand.

"I'll see you later." The sympathetic yet disappointed glimmer to the redhead's eyes caused Naruto's own blue orbs to avert directly to the floor. He couldn't believe how much of an asshole he felt he was becoming.

As if taking the lack of eye contact as his cue, Gaara closed the door behind him. The noise of it shutting startled Naruto to gaze up at the doorway now occupied by only the door. He stepped forward and leaned his forehead against the cold door, wishing he could let go of the past and move on. For both his own happiness and Gaara's.

The sound of a car made the blonde sigh. The taxi must have been in the area. A few more distant sounds and all Naruto was left with was silence, filling his eyes and suffocating him.

Why did he have to feel this way? He couldn't understand the hold this man had over him and why he wasn't simply allowed to live a simple life. First the year of waiting, wishing, hoping... the struggle to break free... the slow but intensely gratifying process of moving on and becoming comfortable with a new lifestyle... it was all shattered by one _glance, _one conversation, one unlucky run in at the movie theatres.

And the one thing that Naruto kept repeating in his head was if it was all worth it? One month... just one more month... if he could have waited it out.

Naruto sighed and shook his head as he recalled the Friday morning when Sasuke's name had been in the newspaper and on Gaara's lips. The fight in the bar over his sexuality. Naruto couldn't help but think at the time that if only he'd waited it out one more month, then he might have been able to fulfil the fantasy that had raced through his head since the day when Naruto had asked Sasuke to move in with him. Hell... he'd been fantasizing about that since the first time their mouths connected in a passionate kiss... or since the first time their eyes connected in such an intimate way in the dark corner of that bar...

But he knew it wasn't true. If he hadn't said anything, if he hadn't struggled for that freedom and left Sasuke... he'd still be trapped in that cycle. The Friday night anticipation. The web of lies that consumed his life. That was how it would have been... he could just feel it.

Pushing away from the door, he exhaled through his nose. There was no use fixating on it now. The damage was done... to his psyche and his current relationship.

Time... he just needed time to think about why he was so... No. That was a lie. He didn't need time. He knew exactly why he was feeling like such a douchebag. Sasuke was that reason. More specifically his feelings for Sasuke that had never truly died, it had merely been dismissed to wait in the sidelines.

Naruto cursed as he paced the length of his kitchen, wringing his hands as his thoughts ran faster than his feet. It was true that seeing Sasuke now, after all that time, had caused those feelings to rise from the pit of his stomach but it was also true that Sasuke wasn't right for him. Sasuke had lied to him and abandoned him.

"Technically I abandoned him last..." Naruto argued with himself, picturing their final break in that hospital room. Sasuke looked pitiful and the desperation in his eyes almost made the blonde crawl into the bed next to him... but Naruto had resisted everything and he'd become a better person because of that.

He'd grown stronger, learned how to say no, and was finally independent. It was only after he had finally broken all ties with Sasuke that Naruto had realized an all important fact. In order for either of them to move forward... one of them had to leave the other.

* * *

"How happy do you think you two would have been if you had just left your wife for him?"

The blunt words caused the raven's brows to furrow in offence and confusion. Dark eyes lifted to gauge the silver haired man's expression that was undoubtedly blank as it always had been since the day they'd met. Of course, that's part of why they got along so well, their stoic expressions, their unreadable eyes that rarely challenged each other and when they did... both had equal ground and the words and logic were the focus of the argument.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked his mentor crisply. Rather concerned at the reason Kakashi had decided to bring up his blonde mistress, as it were, during a silent night at the office. Sasuke had been at his desk, calmly sifting through the paper work of his team and Kakashi had been doing the same... with much less dedication and had gotten much less done compared to his younger colleague. Sasuke had a sneaking suspicion that the man had been reading that sleazy porn magazine that he'd seen in the backseat of Kakashi's car from time to time.

Kakashi glanced at him over a few cleverly placed documents he'd been holding in front of his face.

"Think about it Sasuke, how long do you think you and Naruto would have lasted if you'd left Sakura before he did the breaking up." Kakashi's voice sounded curious but matter of fact.

"Probably a lot longer than we did in our apparently dysfunctional relationship."

Kakashi ignored the latter part of the sentence. "I highly doubt you would have lasted even half that time."

"What?" Sasuke's brow twitched.

"Well, considering the circumstances, it doesn't give the impression that it would have been a long running relationship."

"What makes you say that?"

Kakashi lowered the documents from his face, placing them on his desk. "Without you leaving your wife, Naruto held onto the promise with more obsession and determination each time you broke that promise, convincing himself to give you a little more time. Had you left Sakura, that would have been it. True you'd have been happy for a time, but eventually he'd become paranoid that the prospect of you leaving."

Kakashi gave Sasuke a chance to speak his mind, to shut down his mentor's words or question them. But the raven stayed silent, staring at him with intensity.

"Straight and to the point, huh Kakashi?" Sasuke grunted as he piled the unfinished files into his bag, true there were only two folders but it was still something he was going to have to bring home. "Thought you were more for the roundabout approach."

"It seemed relevant." Kakashi shrugged, turning back to the considerably large pile of file folders spread into a disorderly pile onto his desk.

Sasuke scowled, grabbing his jacket and heading out the door of their office without a word of goodbye. _You only say that because it is... goddamn old man. _Sasuke nearly muttered to himself but kept it tightly locked in the corner of his mind.

His mentor had actually been spot on to what Sasuke had been thinking about and feeling for the past few days. The what-ifs and the possibilities that sparked in Sasuke's mind more than usual now that he and his wife had officially separated. However, his colleague's logic was unfortunately true. Naruto was that kind of person, someone who would worry, someone who would feel inferior, knowing that he had been the other... but it shouldn't work like that, Sasuke couldn't help but harp on.

Sure it could easily work like that if Sasuke had left his wife for a younger woman or for someone with bigger breasts or any of that superficial bullshit but if Sasuke had left his wife for Naruto... it would have been because he'd have excepted that he was gay and that he loved a man. It wasn't as though Sasuke was going to leave each relationship for the opposite gender because he was bored with that gender for the time being... although that could be a paranoia if someone focused on it.

Sasuke sighed loudly as he unlocked his car, dumping the bag in the backseat before climbing into the driver's seat and closing the door. His hands gripped the steering wheel and he inhaled sharply through his nose.

It had been a relationship doomed to fail... no matter how he looked at it, Sasuke couldn't see a way that would have gone smoothly. Naruto had left him... Naruto had made the choice... and Sasuke couldn't argue that it was Naruto's decision that saved any positive aspects of their time together. After making him suffer for so long... if Sasuke had finally left Sakura during their Friday night routine it would have only ended in misery. Naruto would have been happy, ecstatic even for a short while... but eventually the blame and the guilt would consume their relationship. Sasuke couldn't imagine the ordeal if Naruto hadn't been able to chose to deal with the pain the affair had caused him... the pain Sasuke had caused him... and Sasuke like the odds of how introverted and afraid he would have continued to be about his sexuality and the one he loved.

Without Naruto's courage to severe how broken their involvement had become, Sasuke would have missed the wake up call... and that realization hurt. Every time the raven remembered that he'd made and accepted this epiphany, his stomach dropped... because he had never wanted to know or accept that not being with Naruto was a good thing.


	6. Consultation

**I'm updating and it hasn't taken me months! Yay some progress, finally! I hope you enjoy this chapter because I enjoyed writing it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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**Chapter 6:**

"Alright already! I'm coming!" The brunet yelled at the closed door of his apartment as the knocking persisted. It wasn't loud or obnoxious in anyway, in fact the knocking itself felt calm and neutral. It was simply the fact that it had yet to cease that was getting on Kiba's nerve. Normally someone knocked a few times, then waited. This knocking, as quiet and gentle as it was, hadn't stopped since Kiba first heard it under the noise of his television.

At the doorway, Akamaru was sniffing the door, growling lowly at the idea of an intruder. Leaning down, he picked up his small pup and breathed deeply to keep them from being agitated. Kiba pulled open the door and was taken aback by the sight. To be honest, he hadn't known who to expect this late at night. His first thought had been Naruto, but the knocking was certainly not in his fashion, the next would have been one of his family members but they usually barged right in or at least called him first. Now, the redheaded man that was currently dating his best friend... to say it was a surprise to see him at his front door would be an understatement.

"Uh... hi?" Kiba rose his eyebrow suspiciously, eyeing the stoic man up as he stroked Akamaru's soft fur to calm the small dog down as he squirmed to get closer to the new comer.

Gaara nodded, looking Kiba square in the eyes with that deadpanned stare of his. It unnerved Kiba a little, to say the least, but it didn't really disturb him. The stoic, quiet type seemed to be Naruto's style. However, Kiba had witnessed the redhead open up on various occasions when he hung out with the two of them to watch movies or go to dinner. Despite Gaara not being a very social person, it seemed important to him to get along with his boyfriend's best friend. Which Kiba found himself respecting greatly after the ordeal with Naruto's previous relationship.

"I wish to speak with you." Gaara stated simply, standing firmly yet naturally in the doorway, not offended in the least at the questioning stare from the brunet, or the fact that he'd yet to be invited in, or even the fact that Kiba kept leaning out the doorway ever-so slightly to see if a certain blonde would be appearing around the corner.

"I guess... that's okay..." Kiba moved aside to let Gaara pass him. Gaara nodded before slowly walking into the apartment, turning to take his shoes off at the closet. Kiba took that opportunity to peer down the hallway one last time for his best friend before shutting the door and facing his unlikely visitor.

"So... what's the occasion?" He asked as casually as he could, given the oddity of his situation. He didn't dislike Gaara or anything, but they weren't exactly pals. Yeah he was dating his best friend, and yeah they've chilled various times over the past six months. But it wasn't as though they were going to get together for a few beers and watch the game.

"Naruto's behavior concerns me."

Blunt and to the point, it nearly took Kiba off guard if he hadn't known how straightforward the man was from previous experiences.

Kiba's eyebrow rose of its own accord as he bent over to let Akamaru down. Straightening up, Kiba scratched the back of his head and frowned as he watched Akamaru sniff at Gaara's feet before trotting off to the kitchen where he would find sustenance.

"Yeah he does do some weird things sometimes. I mean, his ramen obsession concerned me at first too and his hyperactivity drives you crazy but it's something you become accustomed to."

Gaara stared blankly at him. Kiba could tell in his eyes that these weren't the issues that Gaara was concerned with but not once did the redhead cut him off, allowing him to finish his sentence before stepping in.

"Naruto hasn't been honest with me. Something is causing him to feel guilt and he will not divulge this information to me."

"Well, everyone has their secrets Gaara." Kiba explained, a little concerned with where this conversation would be headed. He knew what thoughts of guilt normally manifested itself in the blonde's mind.

"These are secrets he shares with you."

"With me?" Kiba furrowed his brows, even more concerned but keeping that idea to himself. "I guess I am his best friend. I know a ton about him that most people don't."

"Recently, Naruto has become reclusive. He is not able to discuss these matters with me, as he's told me, yet he speaks of sharing details with you."

"Uh... yeah well... I don't think I've seen much of him lately either." Kiba confessed. Thinking back, he really hadn't spent much time with the blonde this past week. They hadn't hung out since the movies...

"You know something." Gaara noted the way Kiba's eyes darted to the side, frowning as he discovered the number one suspect as to why Naruto distanced himself lately.

"Not... really..." Kiba bit his lower lip. He knew he couldn't confess such things to Gaara. These details concerning Naruto's... affair weren't something divulged easily or without Naruto's express permission.

"Have you seen him recently?" Gaara asked, his tone more serious than before causing Kiba to squint at him. Hadn't Kiba just stated that he _hadn't_ seen the blonde as of late?

"No. We haven't really hung out since we saw _Karate Kid_."

"When?"

"About a week ago."

"Naruto has not been here at all this week?"

Kiba's eyes squinted at the way Gaara seemed to be interrogating him. It was incredibly strange for Gaara to be so straightforward with him, especially in an accusatory manner.

"Naruto doesn't always come over here, Gaara. I'm sure he's just been busy with work."

"He is never in his classroom." Gaara stated simply, as though that suddenly proved he had been with Kiba the whole time.

"Look, if you're trying to pin something on me for any difficulties you're having in your relationship-"

"I do not blame you." Gaara interrupted him, yet another oddity of the evening. "However, I wish to explore all possibilities."

"Possibilities... Are you trying to say that I'm..." Kiba nearly chuckled and bit on his tongue in frustration at the same time. "You'd actually come to that conclusion."

"You two are close." Gaara stated as simply as one would state that the sky is blue. Correct, but it doesn't insinuate anything further than that simple fact.

"Yes, we're best friends. Of course we're close."

"There are high probabilities that-"

"No there aren't!"

"-two friends can become closer when there are revelations due to third party interference."

Kiba blinked blankly at the redhead standing in the entrance hall to his apartment. He may as well have been looking at a three headed lizard man because that's how absurd everything felt at this given moment. He sighed audibly and raked his fingers through his dark locks.

"You've got to be shitting me. You honestly think that me and Naruto could ever be like that? All because you suddenly appeared into the situation and stole my precious time with him?"

Gaara tilted his head questionably at the phrasing of Kiba's sentence. This did not go unnoticed by the brunet.

"Oh for fuck's sake! I'm not trying to say you stole Naruto from me. I was never under the impression that he was something that could be stolen, except for maybe if you laid out a ramen trap or some shit but really Gaara? Me and Naruto? Get real! You're not the first relationship Naruto's had while we've been best friends. I know how to share. Despite the over protective watch that everyone thinks I have on Naruto, I am an independent person who doesn't need to spend every waking moment with him."

"It was a logical assumption."

"Logical or not, it's fucking ridiculous that anyone would think that me and Naruto could be like that... ever! Best friends does not mean there are undertones of bromance or whatever in our relationship. We're friends. Platonic male friends. Heteros can have gay friends, that is a thing. And I am firmly and definitely a heterosexual male."

Gaara nodded, "My apologies for reaching that conclusion."

"You're damn right your sorry... me and Naruto..." Kiba's eyes narrowed once more and Gaara narrowed his green eyes in concern. A sudden rage filled Kiba's veins at the conclusion that Gaara's assumption inevitably led him to. "You think Naruto's cheating on you?"

"The theory is-"

"I don't give a fuck about any of your theories red. Naruto would _never_ cheat on someone. Not on anyone's life. _Ever_." The contained rage behind every syllable of Kiba's words nearly startled Gaara. He'd never seen the brunet with so much built up aggression, he'd clearly offended Kiba on a level he hadn't known existed. Had Gaara not been aware of how close Kiba and his dog were, he would have sworn the growling from the back of Kiba's throat was surrounding him. But logic concluded that Akamaru had heard his master's anger, or felt it, and came to offer assistance.

"Forgive me..." Gaara apologized wholeheartedly. It wasn't as though he'd wanted to jump to those kind of conclusions... it was the way Naruto had acted the night before. The distance, the secrets, the guilt that filled his cerulean blue eyes. Everything led Gaara to a place he hadn't wanted to know.

"Don't you dare accuse Naruto of being so despicable." Akamaru barked in unison.

"You've had experience with an unfaithful lover." Gaara stated rather than asked, an apologetic tone still lingering in his voice.

"You could say that." Kiba responded, not entirely truthfully but hey, secondhand experiences could count in this case. Forcing himself to calm down slightly, he waved off Akamaru, who huffed reluctantly before moving to lay down in the corner, keeping an eye on the situation.

"I would not willingly think ill thoughts about Naruto."

"Then why the hell would you think he'd be cheating, with me of all people?"

Gaara sighed, exhaustion now visibly seeping into his expression. Clearly these thoughts had been wearing him down and he was truly concerned about his relationship with the blonde.

"Is this about him not wanting to move in with you?"

Gaara's eyes darted up, immediately locking with Kiba's. It clearly wasn't surprising that Kiba would know about such things, but Gaara wasn't about to be happy that someone knew the intimate details of his relationship.

"I don't mean to barge into your relationship or anything... he tells me basically everything, always has." Kiba chuckled quietly to himself. "Hell, he even tells me shit without realizing it. I just sorta... became his confidant I guess."

"What has he told you recently?"

Kiba shifted his gaze back to the redhead. Technically, the most recent information he had been privy to had been Naruto's concerns about Gaara wanting to move in. But in reality... there had been more to it than that. Naruto came over to his apartment after school hours to tell him about the conversation with Iruka and Kiba basically gave him the same reaction. Albeit Kiba was slightly more enraged that Sasuke had managed to snake his way back into Naruto's thoughts but he kept that in the undertones of the conversation.

Ever since... Naruto hadn't been in contact with him much and Kiba gave the blonde his space, knowing he needed to clear his head. Sure he called him on occasion over these past weeks but considering how busy he was with work... he hadn't been as attentive as he would like. Not to mention, he figured Naruto would be spending time with Gaara, figuring out what was wrong. Apparently he was quite wrong in his way of thinking.

"The last time I talked to Naruto, it was mainly about you wanting to move in." Kiba confessed as truthfully as he could without intruding into Naruto's secrets.

The redhead breathed deeply, shifting uncomfortably as he mumbled almost inaudibly. "Could this be the real reason?"

"For what?" Kiba titled his head, searching Gaara's uncommon stature. It was odd to the see the redhead express anything externally. Normally he had to fight to figure out what tone was _supposed_ to be in that typically toneless voice.

"Naruto's behavior." Gaara stated simply with an edge of frustration. "He has been aloof... avoiding me. Last night... there is something he will not speak to me about, despite mentioning that eventually he might be able to do so. This is something that you also have information about."

Kiba followed the sentence as though Gaara were putting out bread crumbs or placing clues on the table to allow Kiba to come to some logical conclusion. He felt like the witness as Gaara attempted to refresh his memory, like some weird episode of Criminal Minds.

Of course, the laying of bread crumbs wasn't entirely necessary. Kiba knew what this was about without Gaara having to speak with him. The year that followed his relationship with Gaara wasn't something Naruto could talk about easily, not even to him. Kiba had simply been there and was the only one who knew about the situation, other than Sasuke... Eventually Iruka was deemed trustworthy enough for Naruto to take the risk and tell him about his compromising situation that he was sure he would be hated and reviled for. The shame Naruto felt about having been involved in an affair... Kiba knew how much that ate away at him more than anything. It only made since that he wanted to keep that darker side of himself away from the boyfriend who saw him in such a bright light.

"You know." Gaara stated simply, the expressions in Kiba's brown eyes giving him away.

"Yeah, I know." Kiba nodded honestly. There was no point in denying it.

"You're not going to tell me."

Kiba's exhaled breath turned into a slightly amused chuckle. "No, I'm not. It's not my information to give. I'm his confidant remember."

Gaara nodded his head solemnly and Kiba could tell he was disappointed but understanding as well.

Breathing deeply, Kiba raked his hand through his hair. He needed to be such a people pleasure or some shit... whatever that prompted him to want to fix or aid people. That was how he was supposed to feel about animals, not humans.

"I can tell you... that something changed Naruto."

Green eyes landed on him almost instantaneously but no voice followed, he just stared intensely, listening to every syllable.

"We both know how energetic and vibrant he can be. Those fun moments when he takes off and no one can reign him back in. He makes you laugh no matter what the situation and jumps about like he's downed a bag of sugar..."

The redhead nodded but said nothing. It was clear in his eyes that Gaara had experienced these moments, but it was also definite that they weren't in abundance... not in the way that Kiba remembered them.

"They come in short bursts now. When he's completely comfortable with himself. Back in university, he was always like that. Every single waking hour, there was nothing that could keep him down, nothing that dared question his confidence in himself."

Kiba's lips spread into a soft smile as he remembered the way the blonde light up every room he entered.

"When we first met in university... I had such a low opinion of him. He always slacked off it seemed and he said the most absurd and illogical things in class... I tried to knock him down from that overconfidence of his but it didn't work. He always got higher grades than me, which didn't make sense. I challenged him to a fight because I thought he was cheating or some shit. We brawled it out and I woke up in the nurses office thirty minutes after the fight ended. Don't get me wrong, I gave him a run for his money but he beat me, fair and square. No one tried to bring him down after that... and I had a whole new respect for the hyperactive little bastard.

"That same energy that pissed the hell out of me before, started to draw me into him. Not in that weird gay way either, ain't never been those kind of feelings between us. But Naruto's the kind of character that pulls you in. He never gives up and that's something you have to respect. He came out in second year and some idiots tried to give him shit. They cornered him started to lay down some homophobic laws on him when I walked by. Not that weird, hero to the rescue, right time right place kind of bull. I was supposed to pick him up so we could go to the movies. They beat him pretty bad before I intervened, sure he'd give a good fight but five people were rather hard to fight on his own. We both got bruised up pretty bad but nothing too serious. That was probably the time I got deemed his watch dog - yeah I'm aware of that title."

Kiba shifted his eyes, knowing Gaara had heard Naruto talk about him as though he was his guard dog.

"Naruto was shaken, just a little, but it didn't stop him from being himself and being damn confident that he liked being himself. Sure he never went on dates openly or anything that could risk anyone's safety, but it wasn't because he was shy, outgoing Naruto could never be shy about anything."

That triggered something in Gaara's expression and Kiba knew why. Shy was something that Naruto had become after the ordeal with Sasuke. He was cautious about the way he behaved around other people, nervous about being outgoing and open about himself because Sasuke took that self-confidence from him. He stole it, as though he had to a right to keep Naruto locked up and insecure about everything he did or said.

"He's different now. I've watched him shrink into himself and become the person he is now. It's better, since he met you, that's for sure." Kiba reassured, seeing a bit of glimmer in Gaara's eyes at gesture. "Something changed him... as short as a year before he met you, something made Naruto introvert himself. That's still haunting him and he'll tell you when he's ready... but don't pressure him. It was a difficult time and he trying to make things work. Plus, pushing him out of that is my job, has been for a year."

The brunet saw the defiance in Gaara's green orbs. He didn't want to drop this topic, especially now that he'd found out how drastically it had changed the person he loved. Of course, Kiba could also see a darkness to his eyes, a possibly anger growing behind them.

"It wasn't..." Gaara started slowly, not wanting to intrude into the secrets he wasn't privy to but unable to accept the worst possibilities. "Was he sexually abused?"

Kiba's eyes darkened immediately sending a chill through the atmosphere of the room and every single one of his words dripped with venom. "If someone had raped Naruto, they would not be alive to haunt him."

Gaara was only momentarily taken aback before he nodded firmly. "I should leave."

Kiba sighed, easing the tension. "Yeah, it is rather late."

"Thank you for your help, Kiba."

The brunet scratched the back of his head as he moved aside to let Gaara pass him on his way to the door. "Yeah... not that I could tell you much but I'm glad I could clear things up for you."

"Yes." Gaara spoke simply and to the point, retreating back to his stoic demeanor.

"Have a good night, man." Kiba called as Gaara opened the door and journeyed out of the apartment.

"You as well." He spoke without turning around, continuing down the hallway.

The breath that Kiba let out as he leaned against his now closed door made Akamaru get up from his position at the edge of the kitchen. The small dog appeared to be tense from the obvious tension that had permeated the air previously, but as Kiba sat down at the base of the door and scooped the pup into his lap, the white fur on his back smoothed out from its raised position.

"Damn this is stupidly complicated." He told Akamaru before hitting the back of his head gently against the wood. It was probably a good idea for him to jump in now and see what exactly was going on in the blonde's mind. Clearly it was Sasuke but it was to an extent that had Gaara so on edge that he felt he had to seek council... and clear up any misunderstandings of Naruto cheating on him.

As much as Kiba adamantly believed that Naruto could never do such a thing after all the heartache he'd been through... he really hoped something wasn't going on with Sasuke to give the redhead reason to jump to such conclusions.

* * *

A knocking persisted through the dreamlike state that had finally given the blonde some semblance of comfort. He had spent most of the day moving about his house. All the essays he had to grade were completed and sketched full of red ink; the dishes were washed, dried and put away in their appropriate cupboards; the floor had been mopped and scrubbed clean; the counters shined from the hard work he had put into cleaning them; the rugs had been vacuumed; and everything had been dusted.

Naruto couldn't remember a day that this house looked so incredibly clean when he had been its owner. It hadn't looked so nice since before his grandmother had passed away... right up until her last moments she had managed to keep this home spotless and he honestly had no idea, short of magic, how she had done it.

Groaning, Naruto pulled himself up off his couch and stumbled toward the kitchen and source of irritating knocking. Disturbances, always disturbances whenever he tried to wallow in his self-pity. Why couldn't Kiba ever let him be? Oh right, he was his eternal guard dog, there was no escaping him.

As he placed his hand on the doorknob after unlocking the bolt, Naruto could hear his best friend's voice on his ear. _"It's been a week, Naruto. What's up with you this time? Have you talked to Gaara yet?"_

Exhaling rather audibly, the blonde pulled open the door and glanced up only to have every nerve in his body freeze up in confusion. Blue eyes blinked wildly as he attempted to straighten his body from its previous casual lean.

Everything about this situation screamed for Naruto to slam the door shut, lock the door and hide in his bedroom until everything calmed down, but instead, he was frozen, standing stiff with his eyes unable to draw themselves away from the presence before them.

It hadn't been that long since they'd last fallen on him, but in this particular place... it had felt like a lifetime. It had felt like an occurrence that would never happen again... ever. And there was some warm nostalgia in the fact that he was here now. The soft quality of his eyes that brimmed with hesitance, his nervous stature that was rarely ever seen by the human eye, the familiar scent that greeted the blonde's nose as they stood, staring at each other. Everything felt like... it belonged.

"Naruto?" The lilt of his head and the questioning and concerned quality of his dark eyes brought Naruto out of his reminiscent thoughts. He couldn't afford to stand there, like a deer in really well defined headlights.

Taking in a deep, yet quiet breath, Naruto prepared himself and restrained the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. "Sasuke... Hi..."

* * *

**Finally got to comment on all those reviews that suggested Kiba and Naruto hook up in Stay, and I did it in story too! Good times! Remember slashers, best friends doesn't mean undertones of homosexual love for each other ... I nearly broke writing that, oh Kiba xD**

**Also, I know that by this point in Kiba's life, Akamaru would not be a small pup in regards to the manga/anime. But, for various reasons and the sake of keeping things less complicated during the scene with Gaara, I chose to make Akamaru more of a Terrier breed of dog. **


End file.
